Julia FlanaganWelcome to Northern Slant’s weekly round-up of local virus-related items you might have missed. The next update will appear on 3 July. Previous updates are here, for the weeks ending:
You might like to read the thoughts of some of our contributors – and perhaps add your own – on ‘Hopes for Northern Ireland.’
See Also:
New Crisis, New Approach – June 20
Surgery and Trauma: A Junior Doctor’s Perspective of Lockdown and Why We Can’t Repeat it – June 18
Lockdown lore, from Newry to Indonesia by Fionnbharr Rodgers – 16 June
How churches can continue to function during lockdown by Jason Sime – 6 May
The impact of Covid-19 on farming and food production by Ben McAteer – 5 May
From ‘Flattening the Curve’ to ‘Bending the Curve’? Lessons from responses to Coronavirus for addressing our planetary emergency by John Barry – 21 April
And read a first-person account from the beginning of the pandemic by NS contributor Callum McNeill here:
Escaping The Coronavirus – February 9
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Social distancing halved to one metre
The two-metre social distancing rule is to be halved in Northern Ireland in a further relaxation of coronavirus measures.
The announcement was made by First Minister Arlene Foster after Stormont ministers met on Thursday to discuss the change. She said: “A minimum one-metre distance between individuals can be considered acceptable in circumstances where appropriate mitigations are made.”
The move came after lobbying from business owners who argued the change could save thousands of jobs once bars, restaurants and hotels reopened. The Executive had previously announced that big parts of the hospitality industry could reopen from July 3rd.
Other announcements this week included the phased re-opening of businesses and services including gyms, libraries, places of worship and caravan parks.
Covid-related deaths fall for a seventh week
The number of Covid-related deaths fell in Northern Ireland for the seventh week, according to figures released by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
NISRA said the total number of Covid-related deaths stands at 816 as of 19 June (the latest point of their data), while the NI Department of Health recorded a total of 545 –almost 300 fewer – by the same date.
While the Department of Health’s daily numbers mostly reflect hospital deaths and where patients had tested positive for the virus, Nisra’s weekly figures cover all fatalities in which coronavirus has been recorded on the death certificate.
Of the 816 deaths reported by Nisra, 420 took place in hospitals, 340 in care homes, eight in hospices and 48 at residential addresses or other locations.
Meanwhile…
Other virus news items this week:
Calls for hope & calls to action
Northern Slant aims to highlight some of the good news stories happening all around us. We’ll also show how communities are responding to the crisis, sharing details of how you might be able to get involved yourself.
Calls for Hope
Calls to Action
Information and Resources
Keep up with the latest updates from the Northern Ireland Department of Health here
And from Belfast City Council here
Have a good weekend.