Covid-19: Clinically extremely vulnerable in NI can now book vaccinations

Up to 80,000 NI people who received a shielding letter as they are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to Covid-19 can now book a vaccination appointment.

Appointments can be made online for vaccinations at seven centres.

Online appointments are available for this weekend, with telephone booking available from next week.

The news comes as the Department of Health reported another nine coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, bringing its death total to 1,975.

There were 407 new cases recorded.

There are 488 people being treated in hospital for the virus in Northern Ireland.

It comes as the number of Covid-19-related deaths registered fell for a second week, according to Northern Ireland's statistics agency.

The virus was listed on the death certificates of 126 people in the week to 5 February.

'Be patient' appeal

Health Minister Robin Swann said the vaccination appointment announcement would be "very welcome to all those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and have been looking forward to getting vaccinated".

"A start has already been made on the CEV category and offering booked appointments will help to accelerate this," he added.

"I would again appeal to everyone to be patient - whether that's waiting on the line to book your vaccination appointment by telephone or waiting your turn in the vaccination programme."

The system will be open to all those who received a shielding letter.

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They will have to bring that letter with them to the vaccination centre to prove their eligibility and will receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Patricia Donnelly, who heads up NI's vaccine programme, said people should not panic if they cannot find their shielding letter.

"This is going to be open for a while, there's plenty of appointments.

"For some individuals, they will be called by their GPs, so they may in fact find that their GP is calling them forward - but we're going to issue further advice on this next week."

Earlier, referring to vaccinations, NI's chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show he was "confident that we will have completed over-70s and clinically extremely vulnerable through February and perhaps into early March".

About 401,966 vaccines have been administered to date, with 373,414 of them being first doses and the remaining 28,552 being second doses, according to the Department of Health.

Statistics agency records fall in deaths

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) has recorded a fall of 11 Covid-19-related deaths on the previous week's toll of 137.

It is also the second time the number has fallen since the record high of 182 reported on 22 January.

It brings the agency's total of coronavirus-related registered deaths to 2,574.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 1,923.

Nisra's figures are higher than that recorded by the department because it records all mentions of the virus on death certificates, even though it may or may not have been confirmed by way of a test.

On the agency's measure, there have been 1,676 Covid-19-related deaths in hospital, including the deaths of 224 care home residents.

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Taking that figure, and the 737 who died in care homes, it means care home residents now account for fewer than two-fifths (36.8%) of all virus-related deaths.

Virus-related deaths were also recorded in hospices (0.5%) and other residential locations (7.2%).

Deaths in care homes and hospitals involved 174 separate establishments.

People aged 75 and over account for more than three-quarters of all Covid-19-related registered deaths (77.2%) between 19 March 2020 and 5 February 2021.

The Antrim and Newtownabbey (9.9%), and Mid-Ulster (7.7%) local government districts have now recorded higher proportions of all coronavirus-related deaths, compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (8.3% and 6.4% respectively).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes for the week ending 5 February was 462.

That is 25 more than the previous week, and 125 more than the five-year average for the time of year, which is 337.

On Friday, the Republic of Ireland recorded a further 21 deaths linked to Covid-19, bringing its total to 3,865.

There have been 207,720 cases of the virus after the Irish department of health was notified of an additional 921 cases.

There are 959 Covid-19 inpatients in the Republic, with 173 in intensive care.