Stormont coronavirus law wrongly describes a medical doctor as the 'Minister for Health'

A Stormont coronavirus law put in place on Friday wrongly describes a medical doctor as 'Minister for Health' – but the Department of Health has said that the error will not negate the legal force of the legislation.

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Subscribe              Nov 17, 2020           Dear reader,     The tension between the two main unionist parties over Covid-19 shows no sign of abating.      The latest twist in the pandemic came on Tuesday when, in an interview with Good Morning Ulster, East Antrim DUP MP Sammy Wilson accused Mr Swann of not using enough resources within his own department to slow transmission of the virus.   However, his comments drew an angry response from the Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken, who said the attack amounted to the "same pathetic petty party-political point scoring from the DUP".   Arlene Foster, the First Minister, meanwhile, played down suggestions that Northern Ireland's school could close early for Christmas, stressing that "we are certainly not planning for early closure of schools".   It emerged on Tuesday that while Northern Ireland's hospital beds are at 100 per cent capacity, there are still 25 unoccupied intensive care beds in the Province.    This follows confirmation that a further nine people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have died. Another 549 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. Stay safe.   Alistair Bushe, Editor 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.           Stormont covid law wrongly describes Dr Naresh Chada as 'Minister of Health' – but legislation still has legal force, says department           A Stormont coronavirus law put in place on Friday wrongly describes a medical doctor as 'Minister for Health' – but the Department of Health has said that the error will not negate the legal force of the legislation.                 Top medical journal: Covid-19 pandemic has unleashed state corruption on a grand scale   A respected medical journal has accused authorities in England of "state corruption on a grand scale", prompting NI stakeholders to echo its calls for full transparency of data and decision making.           Carrickfergus Castle visitor figures impacted by Covid restrictions   A total of 99 visitors toured Carrickfergus Castle during the first two weeks of October, a report to Mid and East Antrim's Borough Growth Committee has stated.           NI Emergency Department under PRESSURE today - public asked not to attend unless it is really necessary   The Emergency Departnent at Antrim Area Hospial is under extreme pressure today, according to the Northern Trust.           These trusted Northern Ireland businesses are offering online shopping during Covid-19 restrictions and beyond   Businesses across Northern Ireland are going online after being forced to close for various Covid-19 related lockdowns.           Ulster Unionist MLA: 'The DUP statement on health represents the height of hypocrisy'   I was deeply disappointed by a statement put out by the DUP on Friday in the name of their health spokesperson calling on the Health Minister Robin Swann to make a statement in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday outlining what steps the health department took to prepare for winter pressures.                 View more on Coronavirus

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