| Dear reader, Northern Ireland has started what is expected to be one of the toughest weeks yet for the Province’s hospitals during the pandemic. Healthcare bosses have predicted that admissions for Covid-19 are expected to peak over the next fortnight with many doctors said to be at breaking point. The latest statistics published by the Department Of Health on Monday bear out the pressure on hospitals. With another 19 deaths related to Covid-19 confirmed over the last 24 hours, there are also 823 people with the virus in our hospitals. A total of 65 of these patients are fighting for their lives in ICU. Almost half of patients at Antrim Area Hospital are said to be Covid-19 positive. There are also currently 139 people with confirmed Covid-19 in care homes here while the last 24 hours also brought another 640 confirmed cases of the virus across the Province. Justice Minister Naomi Long insisted on Monday afternoon that only a small proportion of inmates in Northern Ireland who had been released from prison early because of Covid-19 had reoffended. Some inmates were released early last spring because of the pandemic and Alliance minister said just 7.5 per cent of those had offended again.
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