COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland

This article is about the coronavirus pandemic in Northern Ireland. For the pandemic in Republic of Ireland, see COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland.

COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland

Disease	Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Virus strain	Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
First case	Belfast
Origin	China
Deaths	671 (Department of Health) 942 (NISRA) (as of 16th October 2020)
Confirmed cases	35,554 (as of 27th October 2020)
Official website
Northern Ireland Department of Health

The COVID-19 pandemic reached Northern Ireland on 27 February 2020. According to the Department of Health, 671 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reports 942 people have died (see Statistics). (covid fatality rate 1 in 36). Northern Ireland has the lowest recorded coronavirus death rate in the United Kingdom and a lower rate than the Republic of Ireland. It is also carrying out more tests per capita than the other countries of the United Kingdom. According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the vast majority of deaths linked to COVID-19 were among individuals over the age of 75 years old and almost half were in nursing care homes. It is believed the infection rate is higher in care homes than in the community, which is inflating the overall rate.

As in the rest of the UK, all "non-essential" travel and contact with people outside one's home (including family and partners) was restricted for the whole population, and almost all businesses, venues, facilities, amenities and places of worship are shut. Major events such as Saint Patrick's Day were cancelled. A lengthy lockdown was forecast to severely damage the economy and lead to a large rise in unemployment.

The health service worked to raise hospital capacity. In mid-April, modeling by the Department of Health indicated that the health service in Northern Ireland could cope with the expected peak in cases. On 21 April, Northern Ireland's chief scientific advisor said the curve of new cases had flattened, and evidence had suggested that Northern Ireland had passed the peak of its outbreak, however, restrictions were introduced again in September 2020 following a second uptick in cases.

Timeline

See also: Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland

Template:COVID-19 pandemic data/Northern Ireland medical cases chart

First Wave and National Lockdown (March – May 2020)

The HSC began testing for COVID-19 during February 2020, as of 19 February there were 35 completed tests all of which returned negative results. On 27 February, the HSC confirmed that the first presumptive case had been discovered in Northern Ireland in a woman who had returned from Italy, the case was sent to the Public Health England reference laboratory where it was confirmed as Northern Ireland's first case on 29 February. Cases continued to rise throughout early March with cases rising to seven by the end of the first week.

On 9 March Belfast City Council voted to cancel the annual St Patrick's Day parade in the city. By the end of the second week the HSC started to advise people showing symptoms to isolate for seven days, cases had also jumped to 45 by 15 March. On St Patrick's Day, parades across all of Northern Ireland had been cancelled as cases reached 52.

On 19 March, Northern Ireland recorded its first death from COVID-19, with cases reaching 77. Reacting to the news, First Minister Arlene Foster said "This is a sad day for Northern Ireland. Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with the family and friends of the patient who has died. And we are immeasurably grateful to our health service staff who cared for this person. This is not unexpected news. We knew that this pandemic would inevitably cost precious lives. We cannot stop it. But it is incumbent on all of us to do whatever we can to slow its spread and shield those most vulnerable from the effects of this virus." On 22 March, a second person died from the coronavirus, with cases rising to 128.

On 20 March, the UK Government announced measures to further tackle the spread of the virus which included closing bars, restaurants, gyms and many other social venues.

Also on 20 March the UK Government announced a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, were it would offer grants to companies to pay 80% of a staff wage each month up to a total of £2,500 per a person, if companies kept staff on their payroll. The scheme would cover three months' wages and would be backdated to the start of March. Later in March the Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) was announced. The scheme paid a grant worth 80% of self employed profits profits up to £2,500 each month, on companies who's trading profit was less than £50,000 in the 2018-19 financial year or an average less than £50,000 over the last three financial tax years for those who suffered a loss of income. Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) were tasked with contacting those who were eligible and the grant was taxable.

Cases confirmed by 20 March were 86 in total.

On 21 March, Northern Ireland suffered its largest increase in new cases to date with 22 new cases confirmed. On 22 March, a second person died from the virus.

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Electronic display sign normally used for traffic management displays COVID-19-related advices on an almost deserted Chichester Street in Belfast City Centre, 24 March.

A third victim died from COVID-19 on 23 March, followed by two more deaths on 24 March. On 25 March, the largest increase in new cases to date was recorded as cases rose by 37 to 209, with 2 new deaths also being confirmed. Speaking at a press conference on 25 March, Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said he believes the actual figure of cases to be "many thousands" and testing would increase to approximately 1000 new tests everyday.

On 26 March, a further 3 people died from the virus with 32 new confirmed cases. On 27 March, 34 new cases and 3 new deaths were confirmed, with leading GPs in Northern Ireland writing an open letter calling for a complete lockdown, stating "Please hear and act on our heartfelt plea and move to adopt a 'complete lockdown' as we have seen in other countries, at the earliest opportunity. Time is of the essence.". On 28 March, Northern Ireland experienced the highest rate of increased new cases yet with 49 new cases, and a further 2 deaths.

On the evening of the 28 March the Northern Ireland Executive announced new stricter measures to combat the spread of the virus. Measures included:

• The ability to force businesses to shut and crack down on people who leave their homes without a "reasonable excuse".
• Penalties, ranging from fixed penalty notices to fines of up to £5,000, are being introduced as enforcement.
• Anyone who can work from home must work from home
• Employers must facilitate working from home where it is feasible
• No employer should compel an employee to come to work if it is feasible to work from home
• Every employer must take all reasonable steps to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of employees during the COVID-19 emergency, whether working from home or in the workplace
• Every employer must have particular regard to the safety of employees in the workplace and must put into effect the guidance on social distancing issued by the Department for the Economy
• Every employer has a legal duty to ensure, so far as it is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees
• Where a business is failing to observe the Department for the Economy guidance and breaching the legal duty on health and safety, the statutory authorities will take robust action, which may include prosecution for criminal offences
• Where necessary, the Executive Office will also use its power of direction to close or restrict businesses that do not ensure the safety of their employees.

Commenting on the new measures, Arlene Foster said "We are asking the people of Northern Ireland to make fundamental changes to how they live their lives. But we are doing this to keep you safe, to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 infection so that the health service has the capacity to deal with those who need their help the most." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill also commented "Each one of us has a personal responsibility to do everything we can to fight back against Covid-19 for the good of everyone across society. We will use every power we have to ensure people stay at home so that we save as many lives as we possibly can."

On 29 March, new cases announced by the Public Health Agency were 86 and 6 new deaths, the highest for both in a single day to date.

Following the announcement on 31 March that there were 53 new cases and 6 new deaths, the totals at the end of the month of March were 586 confirmed cases and 28 deaths.

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A deserted A1 on the outskirts of Newry during lockdown on 4 April

On 1 April, a further 103 cases and 2 deaths were confirmed as Health Minister Robin Swann warned that 3000 people could die in the first wave of the pandemic. On 2 April, 85 more cases and 6 more deaths were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases and deaths to 774 and 36 respectively. On 3 April, the largest increase in deaths and cases to date was published by the Public Health Agency with 130 cases and 12 deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 904 and the number of deaths to 48.

On 4 April, a further 94 new cases and 8 new deaths were announced, as Northern Ireland's first coronavirus testing centre for healthcare workers opened at the SSE Arena, Belfast. Health Minister Robin Swann said the new testing facility in Belfast “will allay some of the concern and speculation we have had of late. I fully understand the frustration that we have not been able to scale up testing numbers more quickly. This is not down to a lack of will or action. There are significant challenges including laboratory and staffing capacity and the unprecedented levels of global demand for testing reagents and swabs.”

It was reported that more than 33,000 people so far had claimed unemployment benefits since the lockdown began, ten times the normal rate. Economists forecast that a lengthy lockdown and disruption would lead to hundreds of thousands of job losses.

On 5 April, an additional 91 cases and 7 deaths were reported, bringing the total number of cases and deaths to 1,089 and 63 respectively.

On 6 April, the Orange Order announced that the annual 12th July celebrations were cancelled, as a further 69 cases and 7 deaths were confirmed. A further 97 cases and 3 deaths were announced by the Public Health Agency on 7 April, as a second drive-through testing centre opened at an MOT centre in Belfast. With Easter weekend approaching, on 8 April, the Police Service of Northern Ireland warned people against visiting local beauty spots, as the death toll increased to 78 with 5 more deaths and 84 new cases being reported.

The tower at Belfast City Hospital has been converted to a field hospital.

A further 4 deaths and 138 cases were confirmed on 9 April as experts predicted a deep recession in Northern Ireland following the crisis. Research by the Northern Ireland Assembly Library found that Northern Ireland has a lower coronavirus death rate per capita than the other countries of the United Kingdom, and a lower death rate than the Republic of Ireland. It was also revealed that Northern Ireland has a higher coronavirus testing rate per capita than the other countries of the United Kingdom.

On 10 April, a further 10 deaths and 112 cases were reported, bringing the totals to 92 deaths and 1,589 cases.

On 11 April, 15 more deaths and 128 new cases were confirmed as Health Minister Robin Swann called on the Army for assistance in fighting the disease. New cases increased by 89 to 1806, and deaths by 11 to 118 on 12 April. On 15 April, 6 more people died of the virus and another 121 cases were confirmed, as lock-down measures were extended for another three weeks with Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill warning against complacency stating, "Our biggest danger in this period is complacency. The measures are showing positive results but if we relax our behaviour, we will be in danger."

On 15 April, Arlene Foster, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, extended the period of lockdown in Northern Ireland to 9 May, as 121 new cases and 6 new deaths were confirmed. Modelling by the Department of Health indicated that Northern Ireland had reached the peak of its outbreak, and that the health service in Northern Ireland could now cope with the expected peak in cases. Swann said that the peak "may now, potentially, be less severe than we had feared".

On 20 April, the Department of Health launched a new website that provides daily statistic updates, such as information on hospital admissions and discharges, bed occupancy and a breakdown of case and death numbers by age and gender. Speaking about the launch, Health Minister Robin Swann said, "It is vitally important to keep the public well informed. That includes the publication of statistics, as well as the all-important advice on how we keep ourselves and are loved ones safe." The new website also confirmed that 2,307 COVID-19 patients had been discharged from hospital by 20 April.

On 21 April, Northern Ireland's chief scientific advisor said the rising curve of new cases had flattened in Northern Ireland, and evidence suggests Northern Ireland had passed the peak of its outbreak. He said that the number of cases could fall to a low level by mid-May if social distancing rules are obeyed until then.

On 23 April, the First Minister, Arlene Foster, said Northern Ireland may be able to ease its lockdown sooner than other parts of the UK. She said that easing restrictions will depend when public health criteria are met, rather than on a timetable. The Health Minister said "it's important we take our scientific guidance based on the science that is applicable to Northern Ireland".

As the death toll increased to 338 on 29 April, Health Minister Robin Swann committed to maximum transparency with regards to statistics regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, stating “I want to continue seeing the maximum possible transparency on this issue. I want to explore with NISRA if it is possible for it to report more frequently than once a week on deaths associated with Covid-19 across hospitals and the community. This is not straightforward and I want to thank all those who are working hard in this area to provide up to date and reliable statistics.”

Following the announcement on 30 April that there were 73 new cases and 9 new deaths, the totals at the end of the month of April were 3536 confirmed cases and 347 deaths.

On 30 April, the UK Statistics Authority wrote to the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pengelly stating there were gaps in the data and daily time series have been lost since the statistics began to be released through DoH news releases. It was further reported that daily surveillance statistics should be released in a transparent, easily accessible and orderly way.

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The new slogan "We all must do it to get through it" adopted by the NI Executive in May 2020

On 1 May, a further 18 deaths linked to COVID-19 were announced – 4 of the deaths happened in the past day (from the morning of 30 April until the morning of 1 May). On 5 May fourteen deaths were announced in the same care home in Glengormley, County Antrim.

On 7 May, the Northern Ireland Executive met to discuss a roadmap to ending lockdown restrictions, with an announcement due during the week beginning 11 May. However, despite working on this roadmap, at the time Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill warned against easing restrictions in early May as the infection rate was still too high. Ms O'Neill stated, "We're still in the response stage, we're still in the fightback against Covid-19, but we're also in the space where we're planning for the recovery and that's the light at the end of the tunnel that we know everybody wants to be able to see." Based on this evidence, the NI Executive extended the lockdown in Northern Ireland by a further three weeks until 28 May. It was reported that the infection rate is higher in care homes than in the community, which is inflating the overall infection rate.

On 8 May, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) reported 516 deaths linked to COVID-19 up to and including 1 May. It reported that almost half of the deaths were in care homes and that three-quarters of the deaths were among the over 75s.

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NI Executive roadmap to exiting lockdown

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NI Executive roadmap to exiting lockdown

On 12 May, the Northern Ireland Executive announced a roadmap for Northern Ireland to exit lockdown safely. The plan consists of five stages which are set to start at the end of full lockdown which is expected at the end of May. The plan does not have specific dates as it is fully dependent on how low the R rate is at every stage.

Speaking about the roadmap, First Minister Arlene Foster said: “We recognise how difficult the current restrictions are. But those restrictions, and the determined people of Northern Ireland who have adhered to them, have saved lives and continue to do so. We don't want to keep any restriction in place any longer than we have to, but in relaxing any measure we must be cognisant of the potential effects in the transmission of the virus and our ability to save lives.

The Executive's recovery strategy sets out a pathway for us to emerge from lockdown in the safest way possible. This will require a series of judgements and decisions as we move forward. These decisions will be evidence-based, taking account of our unique circumstances here in Northern Ireland. As we embark on our phased recovery, we will remain focused on the health and wellbeing of our population; the impacts on our society; and our economy as a whole. Above all else, our priority will be saving lives.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said:

We don't underestimate the impact that the severe restrictions have had on everyone across our society. While they are still absolutely necessary, it is important that we give people hope for the future. Today we have set out our pathway for future recovery which gives an indication of how the restrictions on different aspects of life may be eased at various stages. The incremental five-step approach reflects the risk-based judgements we will make at each stage. These decisions will be evidenced by medical and scientific advice and benchmarked against our guiding principles and international best practice. The Executive's strategy is not time-bound because it's vital that we retain the flexibility needed to respond to the complex emerging situation based on all relevant evidence. Our recovery from Coronavirus will require a real partnership effort with the community. We are appealing to the public to please be patient. Keep adhering to the restrictions, follow the public health advice and stay at home. We will keep you updated every step of the way when we are in a position to slowly and carefully move out of lockdown.

On 18 May, the Northern Ireland Executive activated some aspects of step one with garden and recycling centres allowed to open. However, on the same day, it was announced that further measures of step one would be activated on Tuesday 19 May such as groups of up to six people who do not share a household being able to meet outside and private church services being allowed.

On 26 May, the Department of Health announced that there were zero deaths in the previous 24 hours, the first time since 18 March. On 29 May NISRA announced that there were 716 deaths from all sources up to 22 May

At the end of May, there were a total of 4716 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland with 523 deaths.

Easing of Restrictions (June–August 2020)

Deaths and cases continued to drop at the start of June, as the Health Minister announced an £11.7 million support package for care homes in Northern Ireland, which includes funding for sick pay for staff.

For the first time since lockdown, there were zero deaths recorded from 6 June to 9 June and then from 13 June to 14 June. The Executive announced further easing of lockdown measures with all non-essential retail allowed to reopen from 12 June. The Health Minister also announced a new ID card for support carers which allows them to access stores during priority shopping hours.

On 15 June, the Executive announced more lockdown easing this time focusing on the hospitality industry with hotels, restaurants and bars that sell food or have a large beer garden being allowed to open from 3 July 2020. On 16 June the NI Statistics and Research Agency announced that unemployment in Northern Ireland had doubled between the months of March and May due to COVID-19 restrictions. On 18 June it was announced that from 6 July other services such as hairdressers and barbers are allowed to open.

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StopCOVID NI app, the contact tracing app for COVID-19 in Northern Ireland

On 20 June, there were no confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours for the first time since the first week of March. From 23 June it was permitted for 6 people to meet indoors, maintaining social distancing and no overnight stays. On 25 June is was announced that Northern Ireland would be reducing its 2-metre social distancing rule to 1 metre. At the end of June, there were a total of 5,760 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland, with 551 deaths.

One 2 July First Minister Arlene Foster called on her deputy, Michelle O'Neill, to resign following her attendance at the funeral of Bobby Storey. Foster says she cannot "stand beside" O'Neill and "give out public health advice" after she attended the gathering of 120 people, breaking Northern Ireland government restrictions that say no more than 30 people should attend a funeral.

As concerns about increasing unemployment grow, on the 6 July the UK government announced a £111m scheme to help firms in England provide an extra 30,000 trainee places; £21m will be provided to fund similar schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

July saw a flood of relaxation of COVID-19 rules with betting shops, private clubs, restaurants, museums, and tourist sites opening on 3 July with salon and close contact services on 6 July. 10 July saw indoor gyms, outdoor playgrounds, weddings and baptisms, bingo and cinemas and competitive sports behind closed doors allowed. Libraries and indoor leisure centres followed. On 10 July the wearing of face coverings became compulsory on public transport in Northern Ireland, exceptions will be for those with a medical condition, children under the age of 13, and on school transport.

On 18 July research conducted by Ulster University indicated that an estimated 240,000 to 280,000 jobs could be at risk under two-metre social distancing regulations and that reducing it to one metre could save up to 30,000 jobs. On 22 July the Public Health Agency says it has identified 16 clusters of COVID-19 involving 133 cases since its contact-tracing system began operating.

On 30 July the Department of Health released its contact tracing app called StopCOVID NI. On 31 July the advice which advised people who are high risk to shield from the public was paused, allowing them to stop self-isolating. At the end of July, there were a total of 5,948 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland, with 556 deaths.

On 5 August cases in Northern Ireland passed six thousand. On 6 August 43 new cases were announced by the Public Health Agency, the highest daily increase since the middle of May. On the same day the Executive announced that face coverings will become mandatory from the 10 August and also the reopening of pubs that do not serve food has been postponed until 1 September.

Again, on the same day, it was announced that all pupils will return to school five days a week as normal at the start of term time in September. Education Minister Peter Weir announced that years 1 to 10 will return to class in protected bubbles, with minimised movements between classes for years 11 to 14.

On 20 August the Executive announced that some restrictions were to be reintroduced following rising cases in recent days. Restrictions announced included reducing indoor gatherings from 10 to six people and outdoor meetings from 30 to 15. On the same day the PSNI announced that they would be focusing enforcement on hot spots around Northern Ireland to stop the spread of COVID-19. At the end of August, there were a total of 7,245 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland, with 560 deaths.

Second Wave and New Lockdown (September – November 2020)

On 1 September children returned to school for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. On 9 September figures released by the Department of Education show that COVID-19 cases have been reported at 64 Northern Ireland schools in the first two weeks of the autumn term.

On 10 September the Northern Ireland Executive imposed new restrictions on visiting homes for Ballymena, and parts of Glenavy, Lisburn and Crumlin, following a rise in COVID-19 cases in those areas. From the following week, people living in those areas are limited to social gatherings of six and are encouraged not to travel outside the areas. The Executive also announced further easing of restrictions nationally in Northern Ireland such as the reopening of wet bars on 21 September.

On 21 September the Northern Ireland Executive announced that localised restrictions that had been implemented in various postcodes throughout Northern Ireland would now be applied nationwide from 18:00 on 22 September. The restrictions include: no more than six people to gather in a private garden from no more than two households and rule out any mixing of households in private dwellings, with some exceptions such as bubbling with one other household, caring responsibilities including childcare, visits required for legal or medical purposes and several others.

Speaking about the new restrictions Deputy First Minister Michelle O Neil said ""We have between two to three weeks from now to suppress substantial transmission, otherwise we risk even more cases by mid-October. The data is showing very clearly that the number of areas of concern are multiplying very rapidly."

On 28 September Health Minister Robin Swann announced that Northern Ireland had been selected as one of the regions to take part in a major UK trial of a potential vaccine developed by Novavax and supported by the Public Health Agency. Initially there will be 350 volunteers taking part in the trial in Northern Ireland, speaking about the trial Mr Swann said "It is vital that Northern Ireland joins this important world-wide effort." On the same day Ulster GAA announced loses of more than £2 million due to the pandemic so far. At the end of September there were 11,693 confirmed cases and 579 confirmed deaths.

On 2 October fresh restrictions were announced for Derry and Strabane, with pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels permitted only to offer takeaway and delivery services, as well as outdoor dining. Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital also suspends some services to deal with COVID patients. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced extra financial support for the Northern Ireland Executive to help deal with a second wave of COVID-19.

On 14 October the Northern Ireland Executive announced a new 'circuit breaker' lockdown effective from Friday 16 October for four weeks. Measures include:

• Schools to close from 19 October until 30th October;
• Bubbling to be limited to a maximum of 10 people from two households;
• No overnight stays in a private home unless in a bubble;
• Closure of the hospitality sector apart from deliveries and takeaways for food, with the existing closing time of 11.00pm remaining.
• Other takeaway premises will be brought in line with hospitality with a closing time of 11.00pm;
• Close contact services such as hairdressers and beauticians are not permitted to open, apart from those relating to the continuation of essential health interventions and therapeutics.
• No indoor sport of any kind or organised contact sport involving household mixing other than at elite level;
• No mass events involving more than 15 people (except for allowed outdoor sporting events where the relevant number for that will continue to apply);
• Gyms may remain open but for individual training only with local enforcement in place;
• Funerals to be limited to 25 people with no pre- or post-funeral gatherings;
• Off licenses and supermarkets will not sell alcohol after 8.00pm;
• Wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships to be limited to 25 people with no receptions. This will be implemented on Monday 19 October. Venues providing the post-ceremony or partnership celebration this weekend may remain open for this purpose but may not provide other services for people who are not part of the wedding or partnership party and this will be limited to 25;

And the following advice will be added to the existing health guidance:

• Work from home unless unable to do so;
• Universities and further education to deliver distance learning to the maximum extent possible with only essential face to face learning where that is a necessary and unavoidable part of the course;
• No unnecessary travel should be undertaken.

Speaking about the new restrictions, First Minister Arlene Foster said: “We are facing the tough reality of rapidly rising rates of infection. There are increasing numbers of people requiring acute care in our hospitals and sadly we learned yesterday of the death of seven people from Covid-19. The Executive has given careful and painstaking consideration of the right blend of actions that will do maximum damage to the virus but minimum harm to life chances today and tomorrow. We understand that these interventions will be hard but they will not be in place for a moment longer than they need to be. I would ask everyone to work with us to save lives and protect our health service.”

On 14 October Health Minister Robin Swann also announced that the Nightingale Hospital at Belfast City Hospital was to reopen. Speaking about the decision Mr Swann said, "It is not something I wanted to do - it was a decision I tried to hold off on for as long as possible. The virus is rapidly and exponentially and urgent action was needed."

Field hospitals

In mid-March, HSC Northern Ireland started planning to open a COVID-19 field hospital similar to those being introduced in England. The tower block of Belfast City Hospital was chosen as the first such facility, with 230 beds and staff from around the nation. The same report also stated that First Minister Arlene Foster had revealed that a Nightingale hospital could be based at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Balmoral Park, and that the Department of Health was assessing its potential as a second Nightingale facility in preparation for a possible second wave later in 2020.

On 13 May, it was announced that the Nightingale facility at Belfast City Hospital was to close temporarily but could be opened up again in the event of a second wave. On 2 September the Health Minister announced plans to open a second Nightingale hospital which will be a step-down facility. It will be located in Whiteabbey Hospital, Co Antrim, and will include 100 intermediate care beds.

The Nightingale facility at Belfast City Hospital reopened on 14 October following a sharp rise in cases.

Statistics

On 25 June the Department of Health announced that they will no longer be updating their statistics dashboard at weekends.

The official death toll from the Department of Health and Public Health Agency counts those who have died within 28 days of a COVID-19 diagnosis, whether or not it was the cause of their death. It mostly consists of hospital deaths, but also includes coronavirus-positive deaths in care homes and the community that are reported by the health service. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency gives a higher death toll, as it also counts "suspected cases" where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate but no test was done.

Confirmed cases and deaths

Cases are likely to be higher as statistics are based on positive test results, also cases in early 2020 are estimated to be much higher as mass testing had not begun yet. The BBC states that death toll is 70% higher than reported.

Deaths (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency)

Weekly figures released from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency cover all fatalities in which coronavirus has been recorded on the death certificate. The weekly period runs from Friday to Thursday.

Hospitalisations

Data is from hospitalizations reported on the Department of Health dashboard everyday, this information may change at a later date.

Intensive care & ventilated patients with confirmed COVID-19

The Department of Health dashboard only has information from the start of April on ICU patients. From July to 9 August there was no information for weekends.

Dates and sourcing

Cases and deaths below are those that are reported from the media and Department of Health on those specific dates, which is reflected in the sources, however these numbers can be changed retrospectively on the Department of Health dashboard. Blank boxes indicate that no information was released by the Department of Health for that date.

From 25 June to 9 August the Department of Health didn't release daily updates over weekends, this information was released on Mondays for this period.

Data for February to September
Date	Cases Reported	Deaths reported	Tests	Reference
27 Feb 2020	1	0	42
4 Mar 2020	2	0	30
6 Mar 2020	1	0	23
7 Mar 2020	3	0	23
8 Mar 2020	5	0	33
10 Mar 2020	4	0	168
11 Mar 2020	2	0	185
12 Mar 2020	2	0	160
13 Mar 2020	9	0	157
14 Mar 2020	5	0	145
15 Mar 2020	11	0	146
16 Mar 2020	7	0	193
17 Mar 2020	10	0	163
18 Mar 2020	6	1	257
19 Mar 2020	9	1	245
20 Mar 2020	9	0	321
21 Mar 2020	22	1	258
22 Mar 2020	20	1	247
23 Mar 2020	20	5	471
24 Mar 2020	24	2	429
25 Mar 2020	37	3	484
26 Mar 2020	32	11	551
27 Mar 2020	34	1	493
28 Mar 2020	49	7	441
29 Mar 2020	86	4	371
30 Mar 2020	123	4	545
31 Mar 2020	53	4	553
1 Apr 2020	103	3	615
2 Apr 2020	85	10	568
3 Apr 2020	130	9	579
4 Apr 2020	94	9	500
5 Apr 2020	91	8	368
6 Apr 2020	69	5	562
7 Apr 2020	97	5	624
8 Apr 2020	84	1	642
9 Apr 2020	138	7	728
10 Apr 2020	112	10	668
11 Apr 2020	128	15	434
12 Apr 2020	89	11	500
13 Apr 2020	76	6	520
14 Apr 2020	85	10	628
15 Apr 2020	121	6	794
16 Apr 2020	118	18	783
17 Apr 2020	137	18	854
18 Apr 2020	148	17	536
19 Apr 2020	159	1	391
20 Apr 2020	83	13	721
21 Apr 2020		9	879
22 Apr 2020	146	9	866
23 Apr 2020	142	13	689
24 Apr 2020	106	15	808
25 Apr 2020	104	16	553
26 Apr 2020	82	5	585
27 Apr 2020	66	10	1085
28 Apr 2020	34	20	1153
29 Apr 2020	55	9	1376
30 Apr 2020	73	9	1592
1 May 2020	87	18	1771
2 May 2020	63	11	1408
3 May 2020	78	5	1060
4 May 2020	69	6	1809
5 May 2020	45	17	1749
6 May 2020	53	14	2234
7 May 2020	50	4	1896
8 May 2020	38	4	1799
9 May 2020	56	4	1488
10 May 2020	41	5	1339
11 May 2020	30	3	1966
12 May 2020	44	9	2038
13 May 2020	60	2	2114
14 May 2020	38	5	1979
15 May 2020	26	15	2075
16 May 2020	40	4	1372
17 May 2020	28	3	1118
18 May 2020	16	6	2131
19 May 2020	20	7	2130
20 May 2020	18	5	2159
21 May 2020	42	7	1906
22 May 2020	23	3	2048
23 May 2020	41	1	1558
24 May 2020	25	1	1200
25 May 2020	39	8	1654
26 May 2020	28	0	1841
27 May 2020	26	2	1830
28 May 2020	16	2	1728
29 May 2020	17	3	1737
30 May 2020	13	1	1475
31 May 2020	7	1	1056
1 June 2020	12	1	2063
2 June 2020	4	2	2255
3 June 2020	8	8	2814
4 June 2020	33	1	2530
5 June 2020	3	1	2331
6 June 2020	14	1	1410
7 June 2020	6	0	1362
8 June 2020	6	0	2414
9 June 2020	3	0	2335
10 June 2020	13	0	2372
11 June 2020	4	1	2072
12 June 2020	16	1	1820
13 June 2020	3	2	1177
14 June 2020	7	0	1143
15 June 2020	4	0	2108
16 June 2020	2	1	2355
17 June 2020	8	1	2595
18 June 2020	1	0	2573
19 June 2020	3	1	1886
20 June 2020	0	1	974
21 June 2020	4	0	1063
22 June 2020	1	0	1953
23 June 2020	0	1	2195
24 June 2020	2	1	1698
25 June 2020	0	0	564
26 June 2020	4	1
27 June 2020	2	1	1851
28 June 2020	1	1	1405
29 June 2020	6	1	964
30 June 2020	3	0	803
1 July 2020	1	0	1948
2 July 2020	7	1	2069
3 July 2020	4	2	1508
4 - 6 July 2020	9	0	3445
7 July 2020	5	0	1067
8 July 2020	4	0	1228
9 July 2020	3	0	1777
10 July 2020	4	0	1777
11 - 13 July 2020	16	2	3241
14 July 2020	2	0	1275
15 July 2020	9	0	1315
16 July 2020	16	0	1365
17 July 2020	19	0	1807
18 - 20 July 2020	12	0	5030
21 July 2020	2	0	1579
22 July 2020	9	0	1829
23 July 2020	8	0	1851
24 July 2020	15	0	2020
25 - 27 July 2020	21	0	4625
28 July 2020	9	0	1547
29 July 2020	9	0	1687
30 July 2020	8	0	1973
31 July 2020	10	0	1621
1 - 3 August 2020	40	0	4632
4 August 2020	8	0	2021
5 August 2020	10	0	1779
6 August 2020	43	0	3614
7 August 2020	15	0	3153
8 - 10 August 2020	76	1	7819
11 August 2020	48	0	3402
12 August 2020	29	0	3572
13 August 2020	8	0	2179
14 August 2020	74	1	5597
15 August 2020	65	0	3797
16 August 2020	27	0	5658
17 August 2020	39	0	3340
18 August 2020	41	1	3850
19 August 2020	34	0	3088
20 August 2020	51	0	5177
21 August 2020	20	0	3465
22 August 2020	71	0	6647
23 August 2020	119	0	7646
24 August 2020	10	0	2926
25 August 2020	47	0	3371
26 August 2020	72	0	6410
27 August 2020	69	1	6979
28 August 2020	85	0	6325
29 August 2020	89	0	5735
30 August 2020	49	0	4848
31 August 2020	58	0	4951
1 September 2020	49	0	4350
2 September 2020	71	2	6053
3 September 2020	77	1	8013
4 September 2020	61	1	6369
5 September 2020	118	0	6305
6 September 2020	103	0	5030
7 September 2020	141	1	6992
8 September 2020	40	2	2845
9 September 2020	49	0	4461
10 September 2020	78	1	8543
11 September 2020	88	0	8142
12 September 2020	104	0	8553
13 September 2020	87	0	6237
14 September 2020	109	2	5512
15 September 2020	79	1	4398
16 September 2020	129	2	6779
17 September 2020	149	0	6662
18 September 2020	163	2	6509
19 September 2020	222	0	9124
20 September 2020	176	0	5764
21 September 2020	125	2	6455
22 September 2020	75	0	4495
23 September 2020	220	0	8071
24 September 2020	189	0	6276
25 September 2020	273	0	7410
26 September 2020	319	1	8664
27 September 2020	187	0	4726
28 September 2020	220	0	5724
29 September 2020	320	0	5319
30 September 2020	424	1	7943

October
Date	Cases reported	Deaths reported	Tests	Reference
1 October 2020	259	2	6043
2 October 2020	934	1	8681
3 October 2020	726	1	8412
4 October 2020	462	1	5674
5 October 2020	616	0	7514
6 October 2020	669	1	7304
7 October 2020	828	1	9794
8 October 2020	923	1	9931
9 October 2020	1080	0	10635
10 October 2020	902	0	10191
11 October 2020	1066	1	10361
12 October 2020	877	3	7124
13 October 2020	863	7	6514
14 October 2020	1217	4	10620
15 October 2020	763	4	8267
16 October 2020	1299	2	10994
17 October 2020	1031	2	7771
18 October 2020	1012	5	10632
19 October 2020	820	6	6122
20 October 2020	913	3	6680
21 October 2020	1039	5	9020
22 October 2020	1042	5	9321
23 October 2020	1252	5	9659
24 October 2020	923	6	773
25 October 2020	896	8	7454
26 October 2020	727	5	4893
Total	34,832	658	715,480

• Total amount of tests will not add up to the total of daily tests listed above as test numbers are not always announced on a daily basis, however when they are a new overall total is announced as well.
• Some data is taken from the Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard which updates daily.

See also

• COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • COVID-19 pandemic in England
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
  • COVID-19 pandemic in London
• COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
• Caroline McElnay, the County Antrim native directing New Zealand's battle against the virus

External links

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the NHS website
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response
• The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020. Legislation.gov.uk
• Public Health Agency – Advice on COVID-19 (coronavirus)
• Worldometer UK Statistics – Worldometer graphs and statistics for the UK