Professor Ian Young gives winter warning of Covid wave: Another Covid wave set to hit province

Prof Young said the only question was how large the wave would be and what impact it would have on the region's crisis-hit health service.

He made the comments as he joined with chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride and the Public Health Agency to urge eligible people to come forward for their Covid-19 and flu vaccines this winter.

Prof Young said: "At the moment we have three ways of looking at the prevalence of Covid in our community.

"First we monitor levels of the virus in wastewater at a number of separate sites across Northern Ireland.

"Secondly, there is an ongoing population survey which samples a random selection of the Northern Ireland population.

"Thirdly, we monitor very closely the number of people with Covid in hospitals.

"All of those indicators are beginning to show early signs of an increase in transmission."

He continued: "I strongly expect that to become apparent in the next one to two weeks whenever people begin to look at the numbers.

"None of that is surprising, given that we are moving into the winter months and that there will have been a waning of immunity since older people had their last booster vaccine.

"The numbers that are in the public domain at the moment may look OK at the moment but the early indicators we are seeing all point in only one direction.

"The question is not going to be whether or not we have an increase in cases, the question is going to be how large is that wave and how great is its impact in terms of further contributing to hospital pressures."

Sir Michael said Northern Ireland would follow a pattern already emerging in the rest of the UK.

He said: "We are expecting to see further surges in Covid and seasonal influenza this winter.

"That is not unexpected as society opens up, as we go back to the activities of daily life.

"If we look at the analysis from across the UK some parts of the United Kingdom are already seeing an increase in community transmission of Covid.

“We can anticipate we will see a similar pattern in Northern Ireland. It is a matter of when, not if.

"The most important thing we can all do is to come forward for our Covid and flu vaccine when offered the opportunity to do so."

More than one million flu and Covid-19 vaccinations are to be offered to people in Northern Ireland this winter.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) said the winter vaccination campaign would help protect those most at risk from respiratory illnesses.

The programme will be implemented using a combination of GPs, community pharmacies and health and social care trusts, with the majority of vaccinations expected to be administered by GPs and community pharmacies.

The PHA said everyone who is eligible for vaccination should make themselves aware of the arrangements at their local GP surgery, community pharmacist or trust or look out for the consent form for their children coming home in schoolbags.