Summary

  • Updates on how coronavirus affected Northern Ireland as it happened

  • The number of positive cases in NI stands at 16

  1. What are the symptoms?published at 10:59 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    The early symptoms can easily be confused with other winter bugs including colds and flu.

    The symptoms start with a fever followed by a dry cough. After a week, it can lead to shortness of breath and some people need hospital treatment.

    Coughing womanImage source, Getty Images

    Read more: What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?

  2. Belfast conference cancelledpublished at 10:56 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Royal Economic Society tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  3. RBS to allow mortgage and loan defermentspublished at 10:41 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    BBC News NI economics & business editor John Campbell tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  4. Latest coronavirus statspublished at 10:41 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Coronavirus testingImage source, AFP
    • In Northern Ireland, 222 tests have been carried out with 12 positive cases confirmed
    • More than 300 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK
    • In the Republic of Ireland, 24 people have tested positive to the virus.
    • Italy has had more than 9,000 cases and 463 deaths
    • The UK's first fatality linked to the virus, announced on 5 March, was a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions.The death toll in the UK now stands at 5
    • Globally, authorities have confirmed more than 109,000 cases of the coronavirus and more than 3,800 deaths.
    • The vast majority of confirmed cases - 80,754 - are in China, where the virus originated in December
    • Italy, South Korea and Iran are among the worst-affected countries.
  5. Republic of Ireland's emergency team to meetpublished at 10:28 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    RTÉ health correspondent Fergal Bowers tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  6. Next phase?published at 10:26 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    The decision to delay closing schools and introduce other strict measures to combat coronavirus has been defended by England's deputy chief medical officer.

    Dr Jenny Harries said the vast majority of those diagnosed with coronavirus are "pretty well" but that they may "feel a bit rough for a few days".

    Woman coughingImage source, Getty Images

    "Within 10-14 days we will be likely to advise people with symptoms to self-isolate and we are expecting that start of the peak [of coronavirus cases] to come during that period," she added.

    In the UK, five people with the virus have died. There were 319 confirmed cases as of 09:00 GMT on Monday.

  7. NI play-off tickets postponedpublished at 10:21 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Ticket sales for Northern Ireland's Euro 2020 play-off match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 26 March have been "postponed for several days".

    Tickets for the match in Zenica were to go on sale on Wednesday.

    In a statement, the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina said the decision was made "in order to prevent the spread of the virus corona".

    NI v BosniaImage source, Pacemaker

    "A new ticket sale date will be announced later," the statement added.

  8. Funeral guidance 'not meant to alarm'published at 10:11 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    The Irish Association of Funeral Directors says it did not want "to alarm the public" or "be insensitive" after it issued advice that any person who dies of coronavirus should be immediately cremated or buried without a funeral service.

    FuneralImage source, Getty Images

    On Tuesday, the association said: "We will continue to monitor advice from the government and although the health and safety of our members is paramount, we would assure the public that should any of our members be required to arrange a funeral, under these unprecedented circumstances, they will do so with the utmost respect and professionalism for the deceased and their bereaved family."

  9. 'Priority is emergency meetings'published at 10:07 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    First Minister Arlene Foster tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  10. Sinn Féin statement on US trippublished at 10:04 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill has suspended travel plans to Washington DC tomorrow.

    She was due to travel with Arlene Foster as Joint Heads of Government to the White House St Patrick’s reception and other events from Wednesday until Friday.Michelle O'Neill said: “We remain in containment stage, however as leaders of the executive we have decided to suspend our travel to the United States this week since our full attention is on civil contingency planning around the Coronavirus outbreak and protecting public health.

    “We are fully engaged in the Cobra meetings alongside England, Scotland and Wales in assessing the response to the outbreak on advice from our chief medical officer.“There is all-Ireland co-ordination between health and medical professionals on a daily basis also."

  11. St Patrick's Day trip to US called offpublished at 09:58 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill tweets:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  12. How to protect yourselfpublished at 09:46 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    The BBC has put together an illustrated guide on how to protect yourself from coronavirus and what do to if you feel unwell.

    Illustrated guide on how to protect yourself from coronavirus

    The main advice from the public health experts is as follows:

    • Wash hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds
    • Use a tissue for coughs and sneezes
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with untouched hands
    • Avoid close contact with people who are unwell
  13. No drop off in ferry demandpublished at 09:42 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Richard Morgan
    BBC News NI business reporter

    Stena Line’s chief commercial officer Paul Grant tells Good Morning Ulster it is keeping customers advised when it comes to coronavirus.

    “At the minute we haven’t seen any drop off in demand," he says.

    Stena Line ferry terminalImage source, PA

    “We are taking every possible precaution and making sure our staff are fully trained and looking out for the right symptoms.”

    In the wake of Flybe’s collapse, he said Stena Line had seen an increase in demand for services to Glasgow and Liverpool.

  14. Lloyds statement on Halifax call centre closurepublished at 09:36 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Quote Message

    “The Belfast Gasworks building [is being] has been temporarily closed to allow for the appropriate areas of the site to be cleaned, after a colleague based there was diagnosed with Covid-19. Our priority is the wellbeing of the individual, as well as the colleagues and visitors to the building. We’re closely monitoring the developing situation and continue to follow official guidelines.”

  15. Sports teams hitpublished at 09:29 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Five football amateur football clubs have now been affected, after a player with Portadown-based club Hanover FC tested positive over the weekend.

    The other clubs are Tandragee Rovers, Moneyslane, Coagh United and Crewe United.

    FootballerImage source, Getty

    Training and fixtures have been cancelled.

    West Belfast GAA club St Gall's has closed its clubhouse after a member was diagnosed.

  16. Council to decide on Derry paradepublished at 09:26 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Derry City and Strabane District Council is to hold an emergency meeting at midday to decide if the St Patrick's Day parade in Londonderry will go ahead this year.

    Sinn Féin councillor Sandra Duffy told the BBC the council needed to consider its “responsibility in terms of public health”.

    “If we are going to bring thousands of people on to the streets we need to know it is safe to do so,” she said.

    St Patrick's Day parade
  17. Parade cancellation 'the correct decision'published at 09:14 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Susan Kirby, chief executive of Dublin's St Patrick's Day festival, says it is "enormously disappointing" that next week's parade had to be cancelled, but she believes it is "in the interest of public safety".

    Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said a number of smaller events would still go ahead.

    St Patrick's Day paradeImage source, PA Media

    She added that a decision "hasn't been made at this time" about holding the parade at a later date.

  18. Latest developments:published at 09:05 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Halifax call centre in Belfast

    Here's were we stand on Tuesday:

    • The number of positive cases in NI stands at 12
    • More than 220 tests have been carried out
    • A Halifax call centre in Belfast is temporarily closed
    • St Patrick's Day parades in Belfast and across the Republic of Ireland are cancelled
    • Newtownhamilton High School and primary school are closed after a student tested positive

  19. Welcome to our coveragepublished at 09:04 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2020

    Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting people in Northern Ireland.

    We'll be focusing on the latest developments here, as well as providing updates from the rest of the UK and across the Republic of Ireland.