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The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has warned of lengthy delays in response times for less urgent cases due to a high level of staff absence.
About 160 employees are off due to Covid-19 related absences, a spokesperson said, with about 100 more absent for other reasons.
It comes as NI hospitals are almost at capacity with the latest figures showing only six beds empty.
Services on New Year s Eve are expected to be impacted.
The NI Ambulance Service has about 850 front-line ambulance staff, with nearly 100 call handlers in the control centre.
Meanwhile, a further 1,929 cases and 11 Covid-related deaths, nine of those occurring in the last 24-hours, were reported by the Department of Health on Thursday.
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Business groups in Northern Ireland say Stormont s strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 has failed.
This will be Northern Ireland s fourth lockdown and it will be imposed on St Stephen s Day.
The Stormont Executive has decided to close non-essential shops and restrict the hospitality sector to takeaway only.
In the first week of the lockdown, households will not be allowed mix and people won t be able to leave their homes after 8pm.
Head of Belfast Chamber, Simon Hamilton, who is a former DUP Minister, said the lockdown strategy has failed and a new way needs to be found to deal with the crisis.
Antrim Area Hospital under pressure as patients treated in car park Our major concern is that ambulances held at emergency departments are not available to respond to patients suffering medical emergencies
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