Good evening,

There was more sobering news on Thursday with confirmation that 18 more people with Covid-19  have died in Northern Ireland. 

Statistics from the Public Health Agency show that there have been 158 confirmed deaths from Covid-19 in the Province. 

While fighting this virus and ensuring everyone is kept safe is a huge priority, there was also a stark warning from Roisin Foster, Cancer Focus NI chief executive. She warned that cancer diagnoses for people in Northern Ireland may be delayed because of the battle with coronavirus.

Routine screening has already been postponed here to allow medics to focus on tackling the infection and there could be further problems in the future.

Throughout all of this, public affection for the work of the NHS continues. The Orange Order is appealing to bandsmen and women across Northern Ireland to add their own musical skills to the weekly appreciation of the NHS on Thursday at 8pm

Stay safe

Alistair Bushe, Editor

Here are today’s headlines:

• The number of people to die in Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19 has increased considerably to 158 after 18 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has revealed. The number of deaths reported on Thursday is three times the number of deaths reported on Wednesday. A further 113 people have also tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in Northern Ireland to 2,201.
• The Northern Ireland Minister of Health, Robin Swann, is set to decide on whether to allow people to be with gravely ill loved ones before they die, according to First Minister Arlene Foster. Mrs. Foster confirmed such measures could be deployed in Northern Ireland during an interview with BBC Radio Ulster's 'Good Morning Ulster' programme on Thursday morning. “"It's unimaginable to think of anyone at any age dying alone,” said Mrs Foster.
• The father of a young leukaemia victim says he is “blown away” by the response to a fundraising appeal he set up, which aims to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff. David Watson has raised the cash as part of an online campaign to purchase the anti-coronavirus gear for workers at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where his son Adam was treated. He had initially set himself a target of raising a few hundred pounds. But at time of writing yesterday he had garnered about £20,800 from more than 1,200 donors.
• There have been a further 861 coronavirus related deaths in the UK, taking the total to more than 13,000.