Spiralling number of new Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland suggests that track and trace programme is failing

The figures were truly eye-watering, with the previous record of new daily cases more than doubled on Friday when an astonishing 934 positive tests were confirmed. Saturday brought more sobering news – 726 new cases in just 24 hours would have seemed decidedly unlikely even a week ago.

The figures were much more dramatic than anything seen during the so-called ‘first wave’ in the spring, which begs the question how this has been allowed to happen.

Northern Ireland was the first part of the UK to launch its own Covid-19 contact tracing mobile app in late July. It was touted by the Department of Health as a potential game-changer, to operate alongside a phone-based contact tracing programme that was already in place.

The conclusion from such a dramatic rise in figures is that the tracing programme here is not doing its job. Boris Johnson yesterday admitted that test and tracing programmes in England were experiencing problems, and the health minister here Robin Swann would do well to elaborate on the success or otherwise of the NI programmes this coming week.

The question is what will happen next. Professor Ian Young said on Friday that “multiple” lockdowns will be needed in Northern Ireland over the winter, but that is not a decision for Stormont’s chief scientific advisor or indeed for Dr Gerry Waldron, of Public Health Agency, who warned of a “circuit breaker lockdown” yesterday. It is a decision for the Stormont Executive, and its First Minister Arlene Foster.

The Executive must learn from its mistakes during the spring lockdown. Schools were closed for far too long – there must be no repeat of the damage done to children’s education.

Mrs Foster would do well to listen to her Economy Minister Diane Dodds who stressed last week that another NI-wide lockdown should not even be contemplated.