NI medical staff facing a week of pressures 'like never before'

A spokesman for the Province's doctors has spoken of his "deep concern" about their welfare, as Northern Ireland draws closer to 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

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Subscribe              Jan 18, 2021           Dear reader,   Northern Ireland has started what is expected to be one of the toughest weeks yet for the Province's hospitals during the pandemic.    Healthcare bosses have predicted that admissions for Covid-19 are expected to peak over the next fortnight with many doctors said to be at breaking point.   The latest statistics published by the Department Of Health on Monday bear out the pressure on hospitals. With another 19 deaths related to Covid-19 confirmed over the last 24 hours, there are also 823 people with the virus in our hospitals. A total of 65 of these patients are fighting for their lives in ICU. Almost half of patients at Antrim Area Hospital are said to be Covid-19 positive.    There are also currently 139 people with confirmed Covid-19 in care homes here while the last 24 hours also brought another 640 confirmed cases of the virus across the Province.    Justice Minister Naomi Long insisted on Monday afternoon that only a small proportion of inmates in Northern Ireland who had been released from prison early because of Covid-19 had reoffended.      Some inmates were released early last spring because of the pandemic and Alliance minister said just 7.5 per cent of those had offended again.  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             Doctors 'feeling strain' as NI Covid cases climb towards 100,000           A spokesman for the Province's doctors has spoken of his "deep concern" about their welfare, as Northern Ireland draws closer to 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.                 Pay your respects 'during this difficult time' asks NI Funeral Directors   Funeral Directors have issued an appeal for people to pay respects to dead and their relatives 'during tis very difficult time'.           It's 'too early' to book summer holidays for 2021 - what Dominic Raab said   Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has advised that it is "too early" for UK residents to begin booking summer holidays for this year, in spite of the vaccine rollout.           Travel corridors across the UK have closed - negative Covid-19 tests now required from all travellers   Under new rules across the entirety of the UK, all travel corridors have now been closed, and those arriving will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test, and also self-isolate for up to 10 days.           MP accused of 'mixed messages' after voting against new Lockdown restrictions   Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has been accused of sending mixed messages in relation to COVID-19 Lockdowns.           Police and Department of Health face legal challenge by Jamie Bryson over Covid rules   Police in Northern Ireland are facing a potential legal challenge over whether officers have the power to enter private homes to enforce Covid rules.           Up to half of Covid business support grants being rejected   Between roughly one third to one half of all applications for government help under a Covid-19 support scheme are being rejected.                 View more news

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