Coronavirus: Spike of 15 COVID-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland but only 26 test positive for virus in 24 hours

Dear reader
The daily statistics published by the Department of Health on Covid-19 deaths in Northern Ireland on Friday were significant for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, there were 15 new deaths reported relating to the coronavirus, the highest number in recent days, with nine people having passed away in the last 24 hours. That shows the need to remain vigilant over the coming weekend and to keep practicing social distancing.
However, it was also significant that only 26 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the last 24 hours in Northern Ireland. Upward of 100 people were being diagnosed with Covid-19 on a daily basis in the Province two weeks ago, so the number of cases is heading firmly downwards.
Many people will be relieved to see Northern Ireland moving out of the most severe lockdown at the beginning of next week, however the message has been a confused one from the Executive.
From Monday, garden centres and recycling centres will definitely reopen while groups of between four and six people who do not share a household can meet outdoors maintaining social distancing.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend
Stay safe

Alistair Bushe

Editor

Latest News:
The number of people to die in Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19 has increased by 15 in the last 24 hours
The latest statistics released by the Department of Health revealed nine people had died after testing positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours however an additional six patients who died outside the same time frame were also included as their death was reported in the last 24 hours.
One of the most positive pieces of information contained in Friday's daily report was the revelation that only 26 new patients tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking the total to 4,317.
Upwards of 100 new patients were testing positive for COVID-19 on a daily basis two and three weeks ago.
The government has been urged to release figures showing the link between coronavirus deaths and existing health conditions, as one doctor warns of the heavy price being paid by non-Covid patients during the lockdown
Whilst a strong link between age and suspected Covid-19 deaths has already been charted by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), the official stats body has yet to map out a detailed relationship between suspected coronavirus fatalities and the general ill-health of the patients who had the virus.
Now Dr Anne McCloskey, a Londonderry-based doctor who has come out a retirement to help during the Covid crisis by working out-of-hours GP shifts, has insisted this data should be produced as soon as possible.
The authorities could then use such information to help inform their decisions when weighing up the risk posed by coronavirus against the damage being done to regular patients who may be much younger, healthier, and have highly-treatable conditions which grow worse the longer they are unaddressed.
A government study in the Republic of Ireland on May 6 indicated that of all the fatal patients who had been diagnosed with Covid-19, 85.5% “were reported as having underlying health conditions”.

The number of Covid-19-related care home deaths halved during the week ending May 8 compared with the week previously, official statistics in Northern Ireland show
A total of 36 residents died, down from 72 the week ending May 1.
Almost half the 599 total to die with the virus since the start of the pandemic have succumbed in care homes.
The 274 deaths in care homes and hospices involved 71 separate establishments.
Extra measures and funding have been put in place to bolster services there, health minister Robin Swann said, after some recorded clusters of coronavirus infection threatening the most vulnerable.
Readers of the News Letter have had their say on working from home during the coronavirus crisis, and whether they’d like to continue to do so post-lockdown
Our lockdown survey, published across this title and 150 others across the UK last week, gives an insight into how the crisis has impacted people in Northern Ireland, and what they would like to see happen in the coming weeks and months.
In total we asked readers 25 questions on their attitude towards the lockdown, and of these two focused on how people feel about working from home.
37% of News Letter readers who completed our survey said they have had to work from home for the first time or to a much greater extent due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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