‘It will be crueller than anyone can imagine’

Medic’s warning as it’s revealed Titanic Belfast, SSE Arena and the Antrim Forum could become field hospitals

A SENIOR Northern Ireland doctor has warned that coronavirus will hit the region “longer, harder and crueller than anyone can imagine” within the next three weeks.

Dr Tom Black (below), chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Council in Northern Ireland, made the stark prediction as new ethical guidelines for doctors are being finalised ahead of the expected surge in Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, health officials are looking at options for temporary respiratory hospitals that are expected to be required to meet demand for hospital beds.

A NEW clampdown on movement in the Republic has been announced amid fears critical care hospitals will soon be overwhelmed by coronavirus.

In a televised address to the country last night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar imposed a range of further restrictions for the next two weeks.

He ordered people to remain in their homes in all but a limited set of specific circumstances. Those include travelling to or from work deemed to be essential, food shopping, medical appointments, brief exercise and vital family reasons.

Mr Varadkar said all people over the age of 70, and other people considered vulnerable to the disease, would also be “cocooned” for the period until Sunday, April 12.

“These are radical actions aimed atsavingasmanypeople’slives as possible in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.

The measures were announced hours after three further deaths were confirmed in the state — one of them the first healthcare worker to die.

The death toll now stands at 22. There were 302 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 announced on Friday, taking the total in the Republic to 2,121.

People who do leave their homes for exercise will be required to stay within a 2km radius.

The Taoiseach said a list of essential work would be published.

He said social visits to relatives beyond the family unit at home would not be allowed.

Mr Varadkar said there was not much else the Government could do to restrict movement.

“There is not much more we could do in terms of restrictive measures,” he said.

Mr Varadkar highlighted that gardai had powers to police the restrictions but he expressed hope they would be achieved with the “consent and co-operation” of the public.