Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Rachel in Vogue for tribute to NHS staff
Dodds says our hotels open to all UK tourists
A MIDWIFE from Northern Ireland features on the cover of a special edition of Vogue for key workers at the height of the health pandemic.
The July publication stars staff from across the UK including 24-year-old Rachel Millar from Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
Now a community midwife at Homerton Hospital in east London, she said every week of her work is different. Rachel told Vogue: “I could be doing night shifts in the birth centre, antenatal clinics seeing women throughout their pregnancies, or postnatal home visits.
“I just love being with the women in this really special time in their lives.
“One of the hardest moments for me during the pandemic was when I had my bike stolen. But within a few hours, a friend had raised over £500 online to get me back on the road. Another colleague tweeted the story and within an hour, a local company had donated a new electric bike.”
She added she hopes medical staff won’t be forgotten after the 8pm clapping tribute and free meals fade.
Rachel said: “Hopefully, this pandemic will bring positive change for NHS staff and service users alike.”
VISITORS to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are welcome when hotels open, the Economy Minister said.
Diane Dodds was speaking at the daily coronavirus news briefing following the deaths of eight more people.
Hotels, B&BS, caravan parks and holiday homes across the region have been told they may be able to reopen on July 20 if the R-rate remains low.
Yesterday, Mrs Dodds said: “We are happy to welcome those from other parts of the UK.”
Tourism NI chief John Mcgrillen revealed it is working on a campaign for autumn to “attract as many people as we can from GB”.
Mrs Dodds added: “We think most tourists will come or are looking forward to that time.”
But neither of them provided a date for when beer gardens at the region’s pubs and restaurants could reopen, describing it as “not a simple issue”.
Mr Mcgrillen said officials are working on “10 different work streams” to help bolster the tourism industry.
He added when that work is done it will go before the Department of Health, Chief Medical Officer and Executive for their decision.
Mrs Dodds said tourism has been hit hard and she has been working with stakeholders to get the sector, which employs about 65,000 and added £1billion to the economy before the crisis, back on track.
She added: “I have no doubt this industry can adapt and while it simply can’t be the same as before, it can be great. I look forward to many of our wonderful visitor attractions, hotels and restaurants again being a regular feature in our lives when it is safe.
“We hope we will be able to open up those facilities sooner rather than later.”
Speaking about the one-metre rule that other countries have adopted, Mrs Dodds said it would be more viable for restaurants and hotels to operate under rather than the two-metre guideline.
She added: “It is something we will have to give thought to.”
Mr Mcgrillen said hotels have seen a “huge” rise in bookings since the Executive provided a potential date to reopen on July 20 but claimed tourists would not come if they didn’t feel safe.
He added: “All of this will be driven by public safety being paramount and us being able to convince others that they can be content that it is safe to come.”