COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
The COVID-19 pandemic reached Northern Ireland in February 2020. At the start of the first official lockdown, the Department of Health reported 3,445 deaths overall among people who had recently tested positive.[1] The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reported 5,681 where the death certificate mentioned COVID as one possible cause (see Statistics).[2] Northern Ireland has the lowest COVID death rate per population in the United Kingdom.[3] The vast majority of deaths were among those over the age of 60 and almost half were in care homes. According to figures, about 1 in 10 of over 5,600 who died from the acute infection were under 65.
For the pandemic in the UK as a whole, see COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. For the Republic of Ireland, see COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland.COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
27 February 2020
(4 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day)
713,294 (as of 20 May 2022)[1]
- 3,445 (Department of Health)[1]
- 5,681 (NISRA) (as of 12 April 2024)[2]
1.87% (DOH) 2.46% (NISRA)
On 23 March 2020, Northern Ireland went into lockdown with the rest of the UK. A stay-at-home order banned "non-essential" travel and contact with others, and schools, businesses, venues, amenities and places of worship were 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, Department of Health modeling indicated the health service in Northern Ireland could cope with the expected peak in cases.[4] On 21 April, Northern Ireland's chief scientific advisor said the curve of new cases had flattened, and the peak had passed.[5]
The lockdown was gradually lifted in June–July, as infection and death rates dropped. Schools remained closed for summer break, but re-opened in September. The infection rate (or positivity rate) rose again that month and restrictions were re-imposed.[6] On 16 October, Northern Ireland went into an eight-week lockdown, although schools remained open, and some restrictions were eased for one week. The lockdown was mostly lifted on 11 December. Following a brief easing of restrictions at Christmas, another lockdown was imposed on 26 December, including schools, as the positivity rate rose sharply. A mass vaccination program began, and the infection rate fell in early 2021. Schools re-opened in March, and the lockdown was gradually lifted from late April. In December, proof of vaccination or non-infection became mandatory to enter indoor venues.
Field hospitals[edit]
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.[138][139] 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.[138]
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.[140] 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.[141]
The Nightingale facility at Belfast City Hospital reopened on 14 October following a sharp rise in cases.[107] The facility was closed down again on 12 April 2021.[142]
On 9 November 2020, American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech announced a vaccine for COVID-19 that offered over 90% protection from the disease.[144] Later it was announced that the vaccine offered over 94% protection for the over 65s.[145] Following the announcement the Department of Health announced that Northern Ireland is likely to receive approximately 570,000 doses of the vaccine which could vaccinate approximately 285,000 people.[146] On 17 November 2020 US company Moderna also announced a vaccine that offered 95% protection.[147] On 23 November Oxford AstraZeneca announced that their COVID-19 vaccine has up to 90% efficacy.[148]
On 2 December, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had been approved for use and will start being rolled out throughout the UK on the week beginning 7 December.[149]
On 8 December, Sister Joanna Sloan became the first person in Northern Ireland to receive the vaccine. Later that day the first care-home residents in Northern Ireland, at Palmerston care home in East Belfast, also received the vaccination.[113]
The roll-out of the vaccination program will target all adults in Northern Ireland as all approved vaccines have yet to be approved for use in children. The adult population in Northern Ireland is estimated to be in the region of 1,400,000 people.[150] The vaccine program was extended to children between the ages of 12 and 17 with special circumstances in July 2021, and then again to all 16 and 17-year-olds in early August 2021.[151][152] This extended the vaccine program further into the population of Northern Ireland, which with the latest estimates from mid 2020, stands at 1,895,510 people.[153]
On 27 May 2021 Northern Ireland became the first country in the United Kingdom to offer the vaccine to everyone above the age of 18.[154]
The vaccine program to date has been rolled out on the following dates:
A booster program has been announced to begin in Autumn 2021 with the following categories getting the booster initially:[164]
Following the arrival of the omicron variant the booster program was rolled out to all age categories on the following dates:
To help accelerate the roll-out of the vaccine, on 29 March 2021 the first mass vaccination centre in Northern Ireland opened at the SSE Arena in Belfast. On the same day pharmacies throughout Northern Ireland were also eligible to administer the vaccine.[168]
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. Vaccination data is taken from the same source as above and may change retrospectively.
As of 1 May 2021 the Department of Health didn't release daily updates over weekends, this information was released the following Monday for this period.
On 31 January 2022 the Department of Health began adding reinfections to the daily cases data. Case numbers prior to this date are higher than reported initially below because of this.
The information below covers from when COVID-19 was first detected in Northern Ireland until 31 March 2022. Further information beyond this date can be found on the Department of Health dashboard and the UK Government dashboard.