Covid-19: Robin Swann says NI's infection rate still too high

Covid-19: Robin Swann says NI's infection rate still too high

Covid-19 infection rates in Northern Ireland are continuing to fall but they are still "too high", Health Minister Robin Swann has warned.

He urged people to keep following lockdown rules, in order to help give the health service "breathing space".

The public should "not slip up now - there are no shortcuts out of this," he added.

Northern Ireland is in a lockdown that is due to last until 5 March at the earliest.

Mr Swann's comments came as a further 11 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

Its coronavirus death toll now stands at 1,889.

The latest figures, released on Wednesday, also recorded 504 new positive cases of the virus, bringing the total in NI to 105,225.

There are 701 people with Covid-19 being treated in Northern Ireland's hospitals, and 65 patients in ICU, 60 of them ventilated.

In the Republic of Ireland, 94 new coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in the latest figures from the Irish Department of Health, bringing the country's total to 3,512

A further 1,013 new cases of Covid-19 were also reported in Ireland on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, it emerged that a paper outlining how Northern Ireland exits the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions will be presented to the Stormont Executive within weeks.

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