Summary

  • People who live alone in Northern Ireland will be able to form a support bubble with another household from today

  • A group of more than 200 Catholic school principals have signed an open letter calling for transfer tests to be abandoned for at least one year

  • Covid-19-related deaths in NI have fallen for the sixth consecutive week, according to Nisra. It recorded 779 deaths by last Friday

  • A total of 360 of those who died with Covid-19 in NI were aged 80 or older

  • The Department of Health has reported two more Covid-19-related deaths in NI, bringing its total to 541

  • The UK death toll has risen by 181 - 41, 662 have now died in all settings in the UK since the start of the pandemic

  • Five more people have died with coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the death toll there to 1,705

  1. Good eveningpublished at 18:06 BST 13 June 2020

    Drive-in cinemaImage source, Pacemaker

    That's the end of our news updates for today on coronavirus in Northern Ireland.

    We'll leave you with some upbeat pictures of children enjoying "Saturday night at the movies" at the drive-in cinema in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

    Profits go towards Covid-19 research at Queen's University.

    Meanwhile, join us here tomorrow at 09:00 BST.

    Have a lovely, sunny evening.

    TitanicImage source, Pacemaker
  2. Five more Covid-19 deaths in Republic of Irelandpublished at 17:57 BST 13 June 2020

    CoronavirusImage source, Reuters

    There have been five more Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic of Ireland, health officials say.

    It brings the total number of deaths linked to the virus to 1,705.

    This number reflects that fact that five deaths have been "denotified" after figures were validated.

    There have been 46 new cases of the virus confirmed in the country, but those are spread over multiple days. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 25,295.

    Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: "All the indicators of the disease are stable or reducing. We will continue to closely monitor these every day."

  3. Leaked BAME report shows virus recommendationspublished at 17:37 BST 13 June 2020

    A man wearing a protective face mask passes a mural showing BAME medical and transport workers, in Waterloo, London.Image source, PA Media

    The government is facing pressure to publish recommendations to protect black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people from Covid-19.

    A leaked draft of a second report from Public Health England says racism, stigma, occupational risk and social inequality may exacerbate the risk.

    The report calls for the provision of adequate protective equipment and better risk assessments.

    And it says recovery strategies must include action on reducing inequality.

    You can read more about this story here

  4. Queen's official birthday marked with unique ceremonypublished at 17:26 BST 13 June 2020

    The Queen's official birthday celebrations have had to make a few adjustments this year.

    A unique ceremony by the Welsh Guard at Windsor Castle was performed after the traditional Trooping the Colour parade was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    It is only the second time in her 68-year reign that the parade in London has not gone ahead.

    The Welsh Guard at Windsor CastleImage source, Reuters

    The Queen, flanked by officials, sat alone on a dais for the ceremony. It was her first official public appearance since lockdown began.

    The Queen celebrated her 94th birthday in April, but it is officially - and publicly - celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year.

    Read more here.

  5. School trip cancelled? How do you get your money back?published at 17:01 BST 13 June 2020

    airportImage source, Reuters

    School trips have been cancelled in the Covid-19 crisis. But what are your rights to a refund?

    "There is going to be a contract between a particular holiday provider and either a school or a number of individual pupils of that school - each pupil/parent will have an individual contract with that organisation," consumer rights guru Jimmy Hughes said on Radio Ulster's On Your Behalf.

    "It would be very important to know which it is."

    Mr Hughes said that if you have a contract directly with the holiday provider then you will be entitled to seek a full refund. There has been a failure of the holiday and you would be legally entitled to a refund.

    "If the school took the contract then the school would be approaching the company to obtain their refund," he said.

    "If not, look at the travel insurance. If you have not a direct contract with the holiday centre, then the school is where you look to get your money back and you would be looking for it in full."

  6. Missing out on caravan time... is there any chance of compensation?published at 16:31 BST 13 June 2020

    caravansImage source, PA Media

    These have been tough times for caravan owners too, Radio Ulster's On Your Behalf has heard.

    The programme has had lots of texts from people "furious that they did not get to use vans during that good weather".

    One listener, Colm, said he has a caravan on the north coast and estimates he has lost about £1,000 and a third of the season.

    "You would like to think that somebody - the park owner or government - could help us out," he said, suggesting that perhaps a discount for next year might be the answer.

    The NI Executive has said parks may open on 20 July

    Competition regulator CMA has indicated partial refunds "should be considered".

    The programme's consumer guru, Jimmy Hughes, said there was "no well-worn path" on refunds.

    "You're looking at whether or not the contract has been frustrated and if it has been frustrated then the basic rule is to set the thing aside," he said.

    "Rather than look at the law, you should be looking to see if you can come to a negotiated settlement. That has happened elsewhere."

    The idea of a discount for next year might be a solution, he said.

    Joining with other caravan people in the same park and putting concerns in writing might be a good way forward, he suggested.

  7. Airlines 'face significant financial distress'published at 15:56 BST 13 June 2020

    BombardierImage source, Reuters

    Following news that Bombardier is cutting 600 jobs in Northern Ireland, Paul Everett, chief executive of aerospace body ADS, told Radio Ulster's Inside Business that it had been "a very difficult week".

    "Unfortunately, while it is good to see our retail colleagues opening up, the reality is that, internationally, most flights are grounded and our customer, the airlines, are in significant financial distress.

    "We would hope to see and we are confident that over the longer period we will see a stronger recovery. But for us, the reality is that it is going to be a slower recovery than many others parts of the economy."

    Mr Everett said it was hard for businesses to retain staff without work for them to do. But he added there had been a huge amount of success in the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland over recent years.

    It offered high-value, long-term jobs, he said, and there was confidence the market would bounce back, but it would take time.

    "We are very keen to see the government introduce further measures to help stimulate the economy," he said.

  8. Five ways shopping will be different from now onpublished at 15:28 BST 13 June 2020

    This week, non-essential shops in Northern Ireland have been allowed to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed.

    This includes retailers offering clothes, toys, books, furniture and electronics.

    Adjustments which have been made to a John Lewis shopImage source, John Lewis

    For many people stuck indoors for weeks, it will be a welcome change of scene.

    But with hundreds of thousands of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, shopping will not be like it was before 23 March.

    Here are five ways the shops will have changed.

  9. Retailers 'face incredible challenge ahead'published at 14:57 BST 13 June 2020

    shopsImage source, PA Media

    Among those shops in Newry who have just re-opened is Cahill Brothers shoe shop in the city.

    Owner Declan McAnespie told Radio Ulster's Inside Business that they are "so relieved" to be open but there is a tough time ahead.

    "We have been set an incredible challenge - the loss of three months trading and three months turnover; the season of shoes and trainers where it transitions into the season of sandals - we don't know which way the weather is gong to go.

    "All of that has been stolen on us and we must react as fast as we can."

  10. Coronavirus in NI: 360 deaths happened in people aged 80 and olderpublished at 14:36 BST 13 June 2020
    Breaking

    The majority of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have occurred in Belfast.

    Department of Health figures state that a total of 161 people have died in the city.

    The lowest number of fatalities - 10 deaths - occurred in County Fermanagh.

    One person aged under 40 years old has died in Northern Ireland.

    A total of 360 people who died were 80 years or older.

    Twenty-three people who died were under 60 years old and 156 people were aged 60 to 79 years old.

    The total number of men who died here stands at 281, while the number of women is 259.

  11. Two more Coronavirus-related deaths in NIpublished at 14:11 BST 13 June 2020
    Breaking

    The Department of Health has reported two more Covid-19-related deaths in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 541.

    Both deaths happened and were reported between 10:00 BST on Friday and 10:00 BST today.

    The Department of Health figures are mostly comprised of hospital deaths and where a patient has tested positive for the virus.

    The total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 is 4,841 - an increase of three more people on Friday's total.

    Yesterday, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) published its latest figures which includes all fatalities where Covid-19 is mentioned on a death certificate.

    By 5 June, it had recorded 779 deaths in total and said these deaths had now fallen for the sixth consecutive week.

  12. More than 200 heads of Catholic schools call for transfer test to be abandonedpublished at 14:00 BST 13 June 2020

    examImage source, PA Media

    A group of more than 200 principals of Catholic schools have signed an open letter calling for transfer tests to be abandoned for at least one year.

    The letter calls for the exams to be cancelled due to "the inevitable emotional distress of primary school children during this pandemic" and the extended break from education.

    It notes that by the end of this month, Year 6 children will have missed out on four months of school and face-to-face teaching.

    "These tensions and anxieties will be very significantly compounded by the well-attested stresses and strains of transfer tests," it reads.

    Writing in the Irish News, external, the Catholic Principals' Association calls for the action due to the coronavirus crisis and also asked all grammar schools to suspend the tests.

    Already 11 Catholic grammars and the integrated school Lagan College have said they will not use the test results to admit pupils in 2021.

    Unofficial transfer tests have been used by schools since the abolition of the 11-plus in 2008, and are run by private test providers Association for Quality Education (AQE) and the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), which runs the GL Assessment.

  13. All changed, changed utterly...published at 13:31 BST 13 June 2020

    The way we work will probably change dramatically, Mark McAllister, director of employment relations at the Labour Relations Agency, told Radio Ulster's On Your Behalf.

    "A lot of people are saying that working from home is not the solution," he pointed out.

    "But there is little doubt that the notion of agile working practices will chance over the coming years .

    "We won't return to the way we worked in the past. There are so many lessons that have been learned from online presence over the last 11 or 12 weeks that I see it highly unlikely that people will return to exactly the same way of working as we saw before."

    Mr McAllister said the LRA responded to calls for advice from both employers and employees.

    Last year, the LRA dealt with 18,000 calls and these were evenly split between employers and employees.

    ChildcareImage source, PA Media
  14. Police impose restrictions ahead of anti-racism protestspublished at 13:03 BST 13 June 2020

    Restrictions have been placed by police on several groups ahead of planned protests in London this weekend.

    The Metropolitan Police said several protests are scheduled in the capital on Saturday, including a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

    Measures including requiring the events to end at 17:00 BST are in place following violent scenes last weekend.

    But the police force warned protesters to reconsider attending at all due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Read more here., external

    Gathering of protestersImage source, Reuters
  15. As shops open, childcare is 'critical issue'published at 12:40 BST 13 June 2020

    Aoife Hamilton

    Access to childcare is a "critical issue" as shop workers return to their jobs, Aoife Hamilton, policy manager of Employers for Childcare told Radio Ulster's On Your Behalf.

    "We are strongly encouraging flexibility on the part of employers," she said.

    Ms Hamilton welcomed the fact that the key workers list had been extended to include retail workers.

    She encouraged parents to contact her organisation's freephone helpline or to go to the Family Support NI website for guidance.

    It's a "very difficult time for childcare providers," she added.

    "For some time we anticipate that childcare settings are not going to be able to operate at full capacity. They are working really hard to ensure the safety of everyone in a childcare setting."

    Ms Hamilton said that they should be aware that there is a financial support package in place and her organisation can talk childcare workers through what support they are entitled to.

    For many people, it is a "complex landscape".

    "While people are working from home, we're seeing a lot of parents who are saying that that's not necessarily the solution to their childcare needs.

    "As any working parent who is trying to balance a laptop on their knee, make dinner and look after the kids would say that's not sustainable in the long term."

  16. Shop workers 'in Catch 22' over childcare and return to workpublished at 12:16 BST 13 June 2020

    Mark McAllister

    The shops are opening and retail workers are the latest to join the list of key workers who should be able to avail of childcare.

    But what if the childcare is not there or demand outstrips supply?

    Mark McAllister, director of employment relations at the Labour Relations Agency told Radio Ulster's On Your Behalf that they had had "a massive amount of contact over the past 48 hours" from people who don't have childcare arrangements in place.

    They're in a Catch 22, unable to return with childcare and finding it difficult to secure such care, despite their key worker status.

    So can you say no to your employer?

    "The government guidance is that if you can work from home, then do," said Mr McAllister.

    Flexible working requests, invoking annual leave, dependence leave or unpaid parental leave may provide a solution at this stage, he said.

    "We don't want to see a situation where an individual is completely caught in a corner and the employer is trying to force them back into work," he said.

    "The Equality Commission were out this week saying there are massive equality ramifications. The vast majority of retail workers are female, they aren't on full-time contracts and their hours are geared around their childcare commitments.

    "If you engage in a practice of trying to effectively force people back to work, it might have these equality ramifications."

  17. How teenagers in Northern Ireland have dealt with coronaviruspublished at 11:47 BST 13 June 2020

    Teenage life presents all sorts of challenges and opportunities, but what happens when everything is disrupted by a pandemic?

    BBC Young Reporter asked young people from across the UK to share their stories of how coronavirus and the lockdown affected them.

    Wiktoria (right) with her three family members who tested positive for coronavirus

    A special online uploader was created to allow 11-18 year-olds to report with BBC programmes and platforms.

    Here, three young people from Northern Ireland tell their stories.

  18. Covid 'support bubbles' begin in England and NIpublished at 11:22 BST 13 June 2020

    People who live alone in England and Northern Ireland will be able to form a support bubble with another household from Saturday, in a further easing of coronavirus lockdown rules.

    Adults who live alone will be allowed to visit someone else's home and are even allowed to stay overnight.

    In England, the rule also applies to single parents with children under 18.

    Two catsImage source, Creative Commons
    Image caption,

    People who live in different households will be able to hug each other for the first time in months

    It comes as charities warned about isolation, with the latest changes aimed at helping those who are lonely.

    The new measures open up the possibility for grandparents who live alone to visit and hug their grandchildren for the first time since lockdown began.

    Couples who live apart will also be able to be close to each other again.

    Read more here.

  19. Coronavirus: BAME doctors feel 'let down' over risk checkspublished at 10:56 BST 13 June 2020

    Ethnic minority doctors in the NHS feel "let down" by delays in work to ensure they are protected from coronavirus, the British Medical Association says.

    The doctors' union warns many have not had promised risk assessments and redeployment opportunities.

    Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA Council chairman, said it was "critical" action was taken to protect black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) doctors.

    The NHS said BAME staff should get risk assessments at their place of work.

    Hospital trusts and other health service bodies have been asked to prioritise risk assessments for BAME staff and other vulnerable groups, NHS England said..

    Dr Saad al-Dubbaisi
    Image caption,

    Dr Saad al-Dubbaisi, a GP from Bury, died at the age of 59 after contracting coronavirus

    At the end of April, NHS England recommended that ethnic minority healthcare workers should be risk-assessed for coronavirus. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland issued similar guidance.

    But BBC research has found that hundreds of doctors still have not had a risk assessment.

    Read more here.

  20. What are the guidelines on childcare in Northern Ireland now?published at 10:30 BST 13 June 2020

    The coronavirus lockdown forced many people in Northern Ireland to work from home - but with schools closed, a lot of parents have also had to look after their children at the same time.

    With some sectors of the economy now reopening, what childcare is available for parents who are expected to return to their place of work?

    Empty streets in Belfast city centreImage source, Pacemaker

    This morning we have this useful guide on the situation in Northern Ireland, and what it means for parents and providers.

    We give a breakdown on childcare, day-care centres, and if it is possible to hire a childminder.