BBC News
By Marie-Louise Connolly
Published
image copyrightGetty Images
More than 430 people attended the emergency department (ED) at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in just over 24 hours, BBC News NI can reveal.
It is the highest ever number of patients recorded at the hospital s ED.
The BBC understands clinicians in the hospital discussed the need for a major incident to be declared, but were able to cope when staff answered the call to return to work.
The Belfast Health Trust said the situation was managed.
The numbers were recorded between Sunday and Monday.
Dr Eoghan Ferrie, an emergency medicine consultant at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) said: The clinicians and staff on the ground very quickly identified that the demand was starting to exceed what would be normally expected.
Coronavirus: Five suspected AZ vaccine-linked blood clots in NI
By Marie-Louise Connolly
Published
image captionAbout 550,000 people have had the AstraZeneca vaccine in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has had five suspected cases of blood clot cases linked to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
That is from a total of 550,000 people given the vaccine up to 28 April.
The figure is in proportion to other suspected cases from across the UK including England (198); Scotland (18); Wales (9) and unknown (12).
In a statement, the Department of Health said the AstraZeneca vaccine had already saved thousands of lives in the UK and around the world. The adverse reactions following the Oxford-AstraZeneca first dose are extremely rare, the department continued.
BBC News
By Marie-Louise Connolly
Published
image copyrightReuters
image captionPeople who have already received their first jab using AstraZeneca will get their second jab with the same vaccine
The Department of Health has said people aged under 40 in NI will be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.
Health officials have urged people to keep coming forward for their Covid-19 vaccine.
The change is not a result of new information on the vaccine s link to rare blood clots.
This latest decision is because the risk from Covid-19 is falling, which alters the risk/benefit calculations for younger age groups.
While this policy currently applies to those under 30, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has decided to move the age threshold after new and slightly increased figures on clots were reported.
BBC News
By Marie-Louise Connolly
Published
image copyrightReuters
image captionPeople who have already received their first jab using AstraZeneca will get their second jab with the same vaccine
The Department of Health has said people aged under 40 in NI will be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.
Health officials have urged people to keep coming forward for their Covid-19 vaccine.
The change is not a result of new information on the vaccine s link to rare blood clots.
This latest decision is because the risk from Covid-19 is falling, which alters the risk/benefit calculations for younger age groups.
While this policy currently applies to those under 30, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has decided to move the age threshold after new and slightly increased figures on clots were reported.
BBC News
By Marie-Louise Connolly
Published
image captionRebecca Logan said she wants to be a nurse - not a patient
A County Down woman who was diagnosed with long Covid last year has said she has gone from being fit and healthy to practically housebound.
Rebecca Logan, 40, worked as a nurse in emergency care and is a qualified fitness instructor.
She said her health has deteriorated to such an extent that she must use a wheelchair when she goes out.
Rebecca is one of three people who have spoken out to BBC News NI about their condition.
They have described the facilities here to help people with long Covid as seriously lacking .