Rising rate of mothers-to-be ending up in ICU with Covid: NI frontline medics | Robin Swann condemns anti-vax protest at jab clinic for pregnant women

Good afternoon
This is your special interest, Coronavirus, news update from the News Letter.
There has been more sad news today as it was announced that there have been three further deaths of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland. There have also been 9,991 positive tests in the last 7 days. The 20-39 age group had the highest number of confirmed cases. with 3,556.
Worryingly anti-vaccine protesters have disrupted operations at a walk-in vaccination clinic for pregnant women, Health minister Robin Swann has said. The clinic for new and expectant mothers was run by the Western health trust in the Foyle Arena in Londonderry on Saturday afternoon. Mr Swann condemned those who demonstrated at the facility. “This latest protest is contemptible,” he said.
Doctors have appealed to people to wear a mask when in a healthcare setting unless there is a valid reason for not wearing one. The British Medical Association said many doctors across Northern Ireland are reporting an increasing number of patients and visitors are not wearing masks and are also refusing to be tested for Covid before attending hospital appointments or when attending emergency departments.
In other news:
* We remember the Northern Ireland soldiers who were killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Nine soldiers from Northern Ireland were killed during combat operations in Afghanistan which lasted from 2001 to 2014.
* Name of murdered police officer displayed on republican bonfire.
Poppy wreaths and a banner carrying the name of a murdered police officer were among items placed on contentious republican bonfires ahead of them being lit on Sunday night.
* UFU says plan to slash CO2 pollution would ‘ruin’ farming in Northern Ireland.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has said that an ambitious programme to effectively end CO2 pollution by 2045 would stand to ruin Northern Ireland’s farming sector.

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