NI records its highest ever number of new infections in last 24 hours + Confirmed case NI primary school

Over £13 million of NI Covid-19 business support grants paid in 'error'

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Subscribe              Sep 25, 2020           Dear reader Northern Ireland reached an unfortunate milestone on Friday as we recorded a record number of new coronavirus cases in the space of 24 hours.  The Department of Health announced on Friday that there have been 273 new cases of Covid-19.This figure surpasses even those recorded during the first wave of the pandemic back in the spring.  It brings the total number of infections in Northern Ireland to 10,223, including 1,236 in the last seven days. There have been no further deaths recorded, with the toll in the Province remaining at 577. The spike in cases in the north west of the Province and in Donegal have led to the chief medical officers north and south of the border to instruct people to avoid travelling across the border unless it is absolutely necessary.  Meanwhile, the row over Sammy Wilson's failure to wear a face mask on a London Underground train on Thursday rumbled on on Friday.  The East Antrim MP was criticised by Jimmy Spratt, the former DUP MLA who is fighting cancer, for not following the rules. Mr Spratt, who told Mr Wilson he should "wise up", was backed by Stormont minister Diane Dodds.  I hope you all enjoy your weekend Alistair Bushe Editor   Final call for our 'Big Conversation' survey examining how the pandemic has shaped and changed our lives. It takes just six minutes and is totally anonymous. You can take the survey here    Want total access to all of our online content? You can subscribe to our website, newsletter.co.uk for just £1 a month for 3 months - and it couldn't be easier. Signing up will get you faster-loading articles, fewer adverts and access to exclusive content and events when we run them. To learn more, visit our Subscriptions page here.           NI records its highest ever number of new COVID-19 infections in last 24 hours           Northern Ireland has recorded its highest ever number of new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the Department of Health has confirmed.                 Over £13 million of NI Covid-19 business support grants paid in 'error'   More than £13 million of Covid-19 support payments may have been paid to small businesses that were ineligible for the grants, audits have found.           Economy Minister says funding allocation will help build recovery   Economy Minister Diane Dodds has said that the funding allocation her department received from the Executive would support economic recovery.           Cancer charity facing funds crisis   Macmillan's annual fundraising coffee morning is due to take place tomorrow, but the cancer charity has revealed the number of people planning to hold an event in Northern Ireland had fallen by a staggering 76%, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.           DUP minister Diane Dodds criticises Sammy Wilson for not wearing mask on train   A DUP Stormont minister has said the rules apply to everyone after one of her Westminster colleagues was pictured not wearing a mask on a train.           Belfast City Council prioritises Covid-19 city recovery plan   Belfast City Council has set out an extensive plan detailing how it will support communities, businesses and vulnerable people as the city continues to face considerable challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.           Clerics tell Boris Johnson and Arlene Foster restrictions are more damaging than virus - and warn not to close churches again   Almost 700 clerics from across the UK - including some 60 Irish leaders - have signed an open letter to Boris Johnson and regional first ministers warning that "authoritarion" Covid restrictions are causing more damage to society than the virus itself - and saying that they "must not be asked to suspend Christian worship again".                 View more on Coronavirus

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