Virus levels still low in NI ahead of reopening date despite worries over Indian variant, says BMA NI chair

Tension palpable as Nolan grills Storey funeral investigator + Gerry Kelly 'refused full-co-operation with funeral investigators'

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Subscribe              May 18, 2021           Dear reader The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were told all about the rich and varied history of Belfast during the first day of a two-day visit to Belfast, which started today.  The royal couple started the visit at Belfast City Hall, where they met Lord Mayor Frank McCoubrey before Charles discussed the centenary of Northern Ireland with local historians.  The visit is taking place against a backdrop of continuing tension around the Northern Ireland protocol and the publication of a report into the PSNI's handling of the Bobby Storey funeral.  TUV leader Jim Allister launched a fresh attack on Chief Constable Simon Byrne in the Assembly, saying that faith in him had been damaged beyond repair.  DUP leader designate Edwin Poots meanwhile has held a meeting with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, with the protocol expected to have been top of the agenda. 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.               Virus levels still low in NI ahead of reopening date despite worries over Indian variant, says BMA NI chair           Coronavirus infection levels remain low in Northern Ireland despite concerns about the Indian variant spreading across the UK, the chair of a leading medical body has said.                 Over the next month many of the Coronavirus restrictions that we have become used to in Northern Ireland will, hopefully, start to ease. So let's all get outside and celebrate Northern Ireland. In fact, as part of our ongoing celebration of the approaching end of lockdown and 284 years of telling Northern Ireland's stories, we want to bring you into the picture… literally. We are running an exciting 'My Local Landmark' competition, and we want you to get involved. Check out the full details here             These are the 14 NI postcode areas with ZERO new Covid-19 infections in the last seven days   As the number of new Covid-19 infections continues to come down right across Northern Ireland there are a number of postcode areas that have seen no new cases in the last seven days.           Tension palpable as Nolan grills Storey funeral investigator   The Nolan Show today included an in-depth interview with the man behind the latest Storey funeral report – with the tension between the two men palpable at times.           Gerry Kelly 'refused full-co-operation with funeral investigators'   Among the findings of the report yesterday into Bobby Storey's funeral was that Gerry Kelly had declined to fully co-operate with the inspectorate's probe into the funeral.           Charles and Camilla arrive in NI for two day visit   The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have arrived in Northern Ireland to undertake a series of engagements over the next two days.           Ruth Dudley Edwards: Peter Hain has once again shown a tin ear for victims of terrorism   Every time I hear the sanctimonious voice of Peter Hain — that one-time rebel and enthusiast for Irish unity who in 2015 swapped his Commons seat for a peerage — I struggle to understand why the media think him an expert on legacy issues.                 View more news

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