‘Difficult days’ ahead for NI as situation with Covid-19 in hospitals about to enter unknown territory

Deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, said “difficult days” would be visited upon hospitals when along with First Minister Arlene Foster, she answered questions from the media at a press conference in Dungannon earlier this afternoon.

“Today the message from us is one of reinforcement, it is to say again people need to stay home, to not leave your home unless it is absolutely necessary and it is for one of the reasons that has been identified,” said Ms. O’Neill.

“Staying at home is the law and no one should leave their home, and we are asking employers to be responsible and only bring their staff in where it is essential.

“We’re in for difficult days ahead, the vaccine programme is rolling out… but it’s going to take us some months before we get to the point where we have significant vaccinations right across society to make the difference that we all really look forward to.”

First Minister Arlene Foster told journalists that as a result of the restriction measures introduced on December 26 the R-number had reduced from 1.8 to 1.1.

Speaking at the joint press conference Mrs Foster urged the public to “take personal responsibility and do the right thing”.

She urged “simple and everyday choices” such as phoning family and friends rather than visiting, doing one big food shop rather than nipping out each day and not going into the workplace when people don’t have to.

“I do appreciate the costs these restrictions are having, I appreciate the weariness, we’re all sick and tired of restrictions but we absolutely must do it to get through it,” she said.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel, the vaccine is rolling out at a very good rate, we can see a route back to normality but it will take us months to get there.”

Earlier in the day, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Ian Young, explained that a variant believed to originated in the south of England was not the main strain of infection in Northern Ireland.

Dr. McBride said that should the variant become the dominant strain in Northern Ireland it would make the fight against Covid-19 “twice as hard”.