Introduction
For a second consecutive day, Northern Ireland recorded its deadliest 24 hours of deaths related to Covid-19 on Friday.
Just as 18 people with the virus died on Thursday, so the same number was recorded on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths in the Province to 176. With an additional 137 new cases also identified it seems that we are now in the surge period that health minister Robin Swann had predicted was on its way.
We also discovered that previous calculations about Northern Ireland’s death toll from coronavirus were incorrect. Deaths in care homes and hospices had not been calculated previously but it was revealed on Friday that there have so far been 41 Covid-19 related deaths in NI care homes.
Despite news of these sad and tragic deaths, it is important for us to remain optimistic, and to retain our sense of community spirit, to be determined that coronavirus can be beaten. To that end, it was great to learn that on Thursday night, a wave of bandsmen and women across Northern Ireland heeded the call to use their instruments in the 8pm tribute for the NHS.
Coronavirus: New figures reveal 39 more deaths recorded in north
The latest figures reveal the number of people who have died in care homes, hospices and private residences
UUP ‘will not engage with single direction talks’ on united Ireland
Steve Aiken was responding to a framework document produced by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael which proposes a special unit to work towards “consensus on a united island”
[[] http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/04/17/news/unity-department-does-not-go-far-enough–1905181/ ]
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the united island
RTE – Tommie Gorman
[[] https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2020/0416/1130811-politics-analysis/ ]
PSNI send letters to Creggan homes on Lyra McKee anniversary
“I am asking the community to reach into its conscience and tell us what it knows”
Cork hospice ‘overwhelmed’ by response to iPad appeal
RTE news
[[] https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0415/1130762-marymount-hospice/ ]
11 Covid-19 related deaths at Dublin care home for elderly in past two weeks
Irish Examiner
[[] https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/11-covid-19-related-deaths-at-dublin-care-home-for-elderly-in-past-two-weeks-994551.html ]
Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Tigers Bay man’s daily danders keep locals entertained amid lockdown
Belfast Live
[[] https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/coronavirus-northern-ireland-tigers-bay-18103435 ]
Pro-life group to step up their efforts as abortion pills come to NI
Belfast News Letter
[[] https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/uk-news/pro-life-group-step-their-efforts-abortion-pills-come-ni-2540529 ]
Image-1.c29cf54183624dfa829a06fe79da3ace.png