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Health

REVISED VISITING GUIDANCE COMES INTO EFFECT

The Department of Health has published revised guidance on visiting care settings, which comes into effect from Friday 15 January. In response to the levels of Covid-19 transmissions across the country, the four UK Chief Medical Officers recommended that we now move into alert level 5.  This impacts on the implementation of the visiting guidance in […]

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Health

COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS: WEEK ENDING 8TH JANUARY 2021

Latest figures published today by NISRA show that 103 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week 2nd to 8th January 2021. The total Covid-19 related deaths figure has now surpassed 2,000, reaching 2,019. 7th January saw the joint highest number of Covid-19 related deaths occurring in any one day (25) matched by 9th April 2020 […]

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Health

VACCINATION PROGRAMME PUBLISHED

The Department of Health has today published the phased plan for NI’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. The Northern Ireland model for vaccine deployment has been designed to be pragmatic, agile and flexible. As has been repeatedly emphasised, the rate of progress will be dependent on the availability of vaccines, supplied as part of UK-wide arrangements. The […]

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Health

GREEN LIGHT FOR MODERNA

The Moderna vaccine becomes third vaccine to receive approval from Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Health Minister has the announcement that the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna has been given regulatory approval: “This week has seen the grave pressures of Covid come to bear on our health service, so news of the approval of a […]

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Health

ADVICE FOR CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE REMAINS IN PLACE

The Department of Health has today reiterated the advice regarding “shielding” by people who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable CEV) to Covid-19. Updated advice to Clinically Extremely Vulnerable people was issued just before Christmas – with a commitment that letters from the Chief Medical Officer would follow. Some of these letters have already been received. This updated advice […]

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Health

Executive statement on additional restrictions

The Executive has agreed a package of additional restrictions given the high levels of Covid-19 transmission in the community. Ministers updated the Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on the detail of decisions reached, which cover schools and the extension of remote learning until the mid-term break in February; enhanced measures to limit contacts between individuals in […]

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Health

Statement following Executive meeting to discuss Covid-19

The Executive met this evening to discuss the concerning progression of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month the Executive moved ahead of other jurisdictions to make an intervention that saw the introduction of strict, wide-ranging measures from December 26 for a period of six weeks, and tonight discussed what additional measures are necessary given the very […]

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Health

OXFORD/ASTRAZENECA VACCINE GETS THE GO AHEAD

Approval of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine boosts our confidence that better times are ahead in 2021, Health Minister Robin Swann has stated. The approval by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) paves the way for a significant acceleration of Northern Ireland’s vaccination programme. But the Minister has also warned that the coming weeks […]

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Crime

Long: Staying at home vital but help is still available for victims of domestic abuse

The ‘stay at home’ message has never been more important if we are to protect the health service and save lives but this does not mean victims of domestic violence will be forgotten. That was the message today from Justice Minister Naomi Long who stressed that help and support is available for those who find themselves […]

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Health

NEW TRAVEL REGULATIONS

From today, any person arriving into Northern Ireland who has been in South Africa within the last 14 days must self-isolate for 10 days along with all members of their household. Anyone already in Northern Ireland who has been in South Africa in the previous 14 days is asked to self-isolate along with household members […]

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Health

NEW VARIANT COVID-19 CASE CONFIRMED IN NORTHERN IRELAND

The Department of Health can confirm a positive test for the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Northern Ireland. The confirmation underlines the need for everyone to “redouble our efforts to stop the virus spreading,” Health Minister Robin Swann has emphasised. Genome analysis had been conducted on a small number of suspected Northern Ireland cases, […]

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Health

HEALTH MINISTER PRAISES “HUGE ACHIEVEMENT” OF VACCINATION TEAMS

Health Minister Robin Swann has praised the work of the COVID-19 vaccination teams who have now administered the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to more than 25,000 care home residents and frontline Health and Social Care staff.  To date, 25,116 vaccine doses have been administered. Those receiving the jabs include 8,031 care home residents – more than […]