Coronavirus: Warning of second wave in north and 'more lives lost' despite no new Covid-19 deaths

NORTHERN Ireland has recorded no new Covid-19 deaths for the first time since the pandemic took hold - but health minister Robin Swann warned about a second wave and "more lives lost".

Tuesday was the first day since March 18 - almost 10 weeks ago - that no deaths were reported.

But Mr Swann stressed that despite the milestone there are "no grounds for complacency", with the north entering "a new, more complex phase".

Nine more people have died from Covid-19 in the Republic - 24 hours after it also recorded a first day without deaths.

Subscribe to our most read headlines in the evening newsletter

It brings health authorities' calculations of the death toll across the island to 2,129.

In the north there were a further 28 confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total so far to 4,637, while the figure for the Republic rose by 37 to 24,735.

The death toll so far is just a fraction of the potential 14,000 warned of by Mr Swann in March before strict social distancing rules were introduced, but he told the daily press conference at Stormont that "sadly there will be more lives lost in the days and weeks ahead".

"A second wave of the virus is widely expected in the months ahead, so we must keep fighting back.

"We must keep our defences up at all times because actions have consequences. Don’t let someone you love or someone you don’t know suffer the consequences of your actions."

He also warned that the health service will "never be the same again" after the coronavirus emergency.

Asked about the behaviour of British prime ministerial advisor Dominic Cummings over social distancing rules, Mr Swann said "there is no person, no position or point of privilege that is above the guidance, no matter who they are, because this virus is no respecter of any of those three positions and no one is immune from Covid-19 no matter where they are".

He said Mr Cummings's actions have damaged public messaging about complying with coronavirus rules in the north.

"But I ask people of Northern Ireland to stick with the guidance that has come from the Northern Ireland Executive," he said, adding that he is not considering reducing the two-metre distancing rule.

"The viral load share of two metres is anyone who is engaged for 15 minutes two metres apart, so if you actually restrict the distance that people are apart you restrict the amount of time they have to be in contact to share the same amount of virus so when we do look at that it has to be something that is done in conjunction as to where the virus is in Northern Ireland and I will look at the concentration of the spread of the virus across the country.

"But it is something that we in the department does keep a regular cognisance of... but at this minute in time we are still maintaining the two-metre guidance."

From tomorrow the majority of outdoor historic sites will reopen to the public.

Communities minister Deirdre Hargey said while toilets, visitors centres, cafes and shops will remain closed, car parks will be opened at sites including Giant's Ring in south Belfast, Inch Abbey near Downpatrick, Nendrum Monastic Site on Strangford Lough, Tully Castle in Fermanagh, and Kinbane Castle near Ballycastle.

Carrickfergus Castle, Dunluce Castle, Devenish Island, Scrabo Tower, Dundrum Castle and Grey Abbey remain closed.