Northern Ireland not 'out of the woods yet' with Coronavirus

By Connor Stringer

The Health Minister has warned Northern Ireland is "not out of the woods yet" with regard to Coronavirus.

Robin Swann has been updating the Stormont Health Committee today, who will also hear an update on the 2021 department budget.

Mr Swann went on to acknowledge concern around the reporting of COVID-19 statistics.

Northern Ireland's health minister has revealed a sudden steep increase in the coronavirus death toll came after he instructed his officials to look into the figure. https://t.co/Hu8LRQDbLu

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) April 23, 2020

"These daily figures are compiled for surveillance purposes to help us track the virus and keep the public as informed as possible. They will always be subject to some degree of revision as deaths will be officially registered at different times," he told Stormont's Health Committee.

"The weekly bulletin produced by NISRA provides a more complete picture of COVID-19 across both hospital and community settings."

It comes after he urged his executive colleagues to allow the reopening of cemeteries during the Stormont daily Coronavirus conference yesterday.

Council-run graveyards were closed in Northern Ireland last month as part of the Coronavirus movement restrictions.

Northern Ireland has recorded 250 deaths in the pandemic by Wednesday.