All carers now eligible for Covid-19 vaccine in Northern Ireland

Five further deaths, 313 new cases reported in North, with 369 Covid patients in hospital

All carers are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine in Northern Ireland, after Minister of Health Robin Swann opened the scheme to anyone who is the main support for an elderly person or a person with a disability.

Mr Swann urged carers to book a jab online at one of the seven health trust centres.

He said: “Carers play a vital role in our society and are essential to those they look after. Should a carer fall ill, the needs and welfare of those they care for could be put at risk.”

In total, 466,524 vaccine doses have been administered in Northern Ireland so far.

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Inoculation of clinically extremely vulnerable people is proceeding apace and vaccinators are working their way through priority groups.

A further five people have died with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said. Another 313 people tested positive.

A total of 369 hospital beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients, with 49 in intensive care.

Lockdown emergence

Meanwhile, Mr Swann has said a gradual emergence from lockdown may prevent a future one.

He was speaking after the announcement that lockdown measures will remain in place across the North until April.

He said the decision will be reviewed by ministers on March 18th but warned it was unrealistic to hope for any major relaxation for Easter.

“The figures are moving in the right direction but they started from a very high point this time round and that’s the challenge that we face in the health service,” he told the BBC.

“We are still supporting more inpatients with Covid today than we were at the peak of the first wave so there would be no point in saying where we will be in a number of weeks’ time.

“That’s why the Executive builds in regular reviews so we can take stock and take into account where we see the number of inpatients, where we see the transmissibility of the virus, and taking into account new variants as well.”

Return to school

Some primary school pupils will return to class on March 8th.

Children in P1 to P3 classes, the first three years of primary school, will be the first to return for three weeks, with the impact of that on the pandemic to be watched closely.

“From a health point of view, it’s about seeing a cohort returning for three weeks and allowing us to assess what impact that has had on transmissibility and the R number,” Mr Swann said.

“In regards to which cohorts come back for which period of time, that was very much coming from an educationalist point of view, it’s not something that we were getting involved in.”

Mr Swann said there is a realisation around the Executive table and across Northern Ireland that a measured approach in coming out of lockdown may prevent a future return to lockdown.

“The last thing that anyone round the Executive table, or anyone across Northern Ireland, wants to do is rush out of this lockdown and see us rushing into another one in a few months time,” he said.

Minister of Education Peter Weir said he would have ideally liked to have seen all pupils returning on March 8th, but said there were “clearly concerns” from the broader public health point of view.

Risk level

“For the logic of the ordering, for the very young pupils, we know they are the lowest level of risk of transmissibility but also it is very difficult for very young pupils to engage in a level of remote learning,” he told the BBC.

“For those key examination years, there is a need for periods of assessment and preparation for that. And that’s why those two groups have been given that level of prioritisation.

“I think its important that the aim is to get every group back into school.”

The Executive is set to publish a roadmap out of lockdown on March 1st.

On Thursday, ministers agreed some minor relaxations.

On March 8th, the numbers able to gather outdoors will increase from six to 10, from no more than two households, and “click and collect” shopping is to be allowed from some outlets previously categorised as non-essential retailers. – PA