by Q Radio News and PA reporter
Health minister Robin Swann has announced that Northern Ireland’s Nightingale region-wide Covid-19 hospital, located at Belfast City Hospital, is to become fully operational again.
Mr Swann said he had been reluctant to re-establish the Nightingale hospital but that he had no alternative in the face of “rapidly escalating pressures” on the health service across the region.
“It is not something I wanted to do – it was a decision I tried to hold off on for as long as possible,” he told a Stormont press conference.
Mr Swann stressed that Northern Ireland had the chance of a better Christmas – a festive season where “hope has not been crushed” – if the public complied with the new regulations,
Health Minister Robin Swann says the continued spread of ‘especially cruel virus’ means he’s had to formally approve reopening of Nightingale facility in Belfast
— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) October 14, 2020
He says restrictions buy a “window of opportunity” for NHS as he pleads with all of us to play our part pic.twitter.com/CJ0Ew6l0sp
It comes as there have been 1,217 new Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland in the last 24-hour reporting period, the Department of Health has announced.
It is the largest daily rise in cases in the region since an extended testing regime was introduced.
There were also a further four deaths reported on Wednesday, taking the toll recorded by the Department of Health to 602.
Stormont’s chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young said case numbers were rising in a “sustained and dramatic” way.
He said there has been evidence of some “slight slowing” in the increase in recent days.
Professor Young said that might be attributed to recently introduced restrictions on household gatherings in the region.
The expert adviser insisted the latest restrictions did not represent a “lockdown”.
He said a “serious intervention” was required to stop the health service being “overwhelmed”, warning that Northern Ireland was on course to exceed the first wave’s peak of hospital admissions within seven to 10 days.
Prof Ian Young says there’s some evidence that the virus is slowing due to household restrictions - however he warned the epidemic is still out of control with the R number consistently between 1.5 and 1.6
— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) October 14, 2020
He says the goal of new measures is to get it lower than 1 pic.twitter.com/Zdlb2SrQJD
Meanwhile, Chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said the new measures represented a “reset” to give the health service some breathing space.
Dr McBride had a blunt message for those who were not taking the virus seriously: “If you still think the threat has been exaggerated, it’s time to wake up.”
The CMO said the impact of the new measures would not become evident for two to three weeks.
“Wake up!”
— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) October 14, 2020
That’s the message from Dr Michael McBride to all who doubt the seriousness of the virus as he calls on all of us to do the right thing and keep people safe
“There’s no blame being attached to anyone” he adds in a bid to reassure hospitality sector pic.twitter.com/53Tw3ox2GB
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