"Deeply troubling" - that's how Dr Michael McBride, Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer this afternoon described the massive rise in coronavirus infections across the Province.
With 1,801 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours, following on the current trend of rising figures, there is no doubt that we are facing a very difficult time ahead. Another 12 Covid-related deaths have also sadly been recorded today.
Dr McBride urged everyone to play their part in helping to reduce the infection rate and warned "now is not the time to find a workaround of restrictions".
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Tensions are still simmering between politicians and teaching unions over when it will be safe for children to return to NI schools after the Christmas holidays.
A senior backbench Conversative party member and former Health Secretary has made a public plea to the government on Twitter to "close schools, borders, and ban all household mixing RIGHT AWAY".
The roll-out of the Oxford vaccine in Northern Ireland on Monday could see a "90% reduction in deaths rates" from coronavirus before Easter, a leading doctor has said.
Experts have warned that the number of coronavirus cases in the UK will rise considerably in the next week, making current figures seem small by comparison.
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