WATCH: NI's chief scientific adviser warns of "worst" period since pandemic began but hope is on horizon
Last updated 7th Jan 2021
Northern Ireland’s chief scientific adviser has warned that January will be the “worst month” of the entire covid epidemic.
Professor Ian Young, who is one of the key experts behind the ‘science’ guiding decisions by the Stormont Executive, said case numbers, while close to their peak, were still on the rise.
In an interview with Downtown Radio & Cool FM, he branded the New Year “an enormously difficult period of time for everyone.”
But he said that “by the summer at the very latest” most if not all aspects of the economy would be able to “function in something close to normal.”
All of this, he said, was dependent on people following the rules by “staying at home”.
“In terms of the numbers related to the virus this is going to be the worst month since the beginning of the epidemic and, indeed, I hope it may be the worst month of this entire epidemic as vaccines begin to take effect,” he said.
“For those colleagues in hospitals, the pressures on them are likely to be extreme and worse than they’ve been since March.”
Professor Young revealed that even after the current lockdown measures end in six weeks’ time, there may be the need to introduce further restrictions.
But he told us that he “sincerely hoped” that this would not take the form of another lockdown.
“We will expect to see a significant reduction in the number of cases along with a reduction in the percentage of tests which are positive,” Professor Young said.
“We will be looking to see that the pressures on our hospital system are reducing.
“At the end of the period decisions about what happens next are very much for Ministers.”
Professor Young warned, though, that Northern Ireland would in no way “magically return” to normal at the end of the six-week period.
“That is not realistic.
“There will need to continue to be some measures in place after the end of this period.”
The CSA who, along with the chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, had called for tougher action a number of months ago before the Executive opted for a circuit-breaker arrangement.
But he said he in “no way” felt let down by the Executive which he said had “an enormously difficult job” to do throughout the pandemic.
Professor Young also revealed that Northern Ireland had already seen a number of different strains of coronavirus.
None of these were more harmful though than the original but he warned that the new variants seen in both the UK and South Africa were concerning.
“Recently we have become aware of these new variants which do look a lot different,” he said
“We know the variant from the UK is in circulation in Northern Ireland and almost certainly has been for a significant period of weeks at the very least.”
He said that they would know more about the number of cases here in the next couple of weeks – but he warned that it was “inevitable” there would be more variants down the track.