Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland (2021)

The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland during 2021. There are significant differences in the legislation and the reporting between the countries of the UK: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Timeline

January 2021
  • 1 January –
    • Police in Northern Ireland issue 126 fines relating to illegal New Year house parties.[1]
    • AQE, which administers post-primary tests in Northern Ireland, confirms its examination, scheduled for Saturday 9 January, will go ahead as planned.[2]
    • Post-primary pupils will be required to wear face coverings in the classroom once the new school term begins, the Department of Education has announced.[3]
  • 2 January – Northern Ireland records a further 3,500 positive COVID tests and 26 deaths in the most recent 48 hours.[4]
  • 4 January – Rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine begins in Northern Ireland, with 11,000 doses planned to be given in the first week.[5]
  • 5 January –
    • The Northern Ireland Executive announces that a stay at home order will become law from Friday 8 January.[6]
    • Figures indicate that almost 10,000 care home residents in Northern Ireland have received their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.[7]
  • 6 January – Education Minister Peter Weir announces that GCSE, AS Level and A Level exams scheduled for summer 2021 will be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
  • 7 January –
    • Belfast Health Trust says it has had no choice but to cancel urgent cancer operations because of the demand on its hospitals from COVID-19 cases.[9]
    • The major religious denominations in Northern Ireland have announced the suspension of public church services until February.[10]
  • 8 January –
    • At a meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive, ministers fail to agree on whether school transfer tests should be postponed because of COVID.[11]
    • Guidelines issued by the Education Authority indicate there will be no school meals for vulnerable children or those of key workers until mid-February at the majority of schools in Northern Ireland, and no transport to and from school unless it is requested.[12]
  • 9 January – Lorry drivers from Northern Ireland travelling directly to France from the Irish Republic have been told they will need a recent negative COVID test in order to do so. Drivers have been using a route from Rosslare to Cherbourg to avoid UK delays caused by COVID.[13]
  • 10 January – All of Northern Ireland's six health trusts have forecast that the number of patients in hospital with COVID could double by the third week of January.[14]
  • 11 January – The Department of Health confirms that 91,954 doses of COVID vaccine have been administered in Northern Ireland.[15]
  • 12 January –
    • Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Young says that Northern Ireland's R number has fallen "significantly" after the rate reached 1.8 following a relaxation of rules at Christmas. First Minister Arlene Foster the fall is down to people "doing the right thing".[16]
    • The Department of Health publishes details of its vaccination plan.[17]
  • 13 January –
    • Health Minister Robin Swann confirms that over 100,000 COVID vaccines have been given in Northern Ireland.[18]
    • The AQE transfer test for Year Seven pupils, which had been rescheduled for 27 February, has been cancelled.[19]
    • Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride apologises as demand for intensive care beds in Belfast means there are no facilities available for kidney transplant operations.[20]
  • 14 January –
    • First Minister Arlene Foster confirms that the Executive have agreed plans to require international travellers arriving in Northern Ireland from outside the UK and Republic of Ireland to produce a negative COVID test before departure.[21]
    • Dr Nick Magee, a respiratory doctor at Belfast's Mater Hospital, warns oxygen supplies are under "extreme pressure".[22]
  • 15 January –
    • NISRA, Northern Ireland's statistics agency, records its highest number of weekly COVID deaths to date, with 145 recorded in the first week of January 2021.[23]
    • First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill hold talks with retailers in Northern Ireland over the sale of non-essential goods after Justice Minister Naomi Long called on them to stop selling non-essential items during lockdown.[24]
    • The majority of hospital visits are suspended in Northern Ireland in a bid to halt the spread of COVID.[25]
  • 17 January – Jennifer Welsh, Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, says that hospitals are preparing for a peak in admissions from COVID during the coming week.[26]
  • 18 January –
    • Justice Minister Naomi Long confirms that a number of prisoners released early because of the COVID-19 pandemic have been returned to prison due to criminal activity.[27]
    • Finance Minister Conor Murphy unveils Northern Ireland's draft budget for the coming year, describing it as "difficult".[28]
  • 19 January – Health officials say that 154,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in Northern Ireland.[29]
  • 20 January –
  • 21 January –
    • The lockdown restrictions for Northern Ireland are extended until 5 March.[32]
    • Education Minister Peter Weir proposes prioritising headteachers for COVID vaccination to "enable continuity of learning".[33]
    • "A £2m fund is announced for pig farmers financially affected by the closure of a meat processing factory in spring 2020 due to an outbreak of COVID.[34]
  • 22 January –
    • Health Minister Robin Swann says it is unrealistic to expect all lockdown restrictions to be lifted on 5 March.[35]
    • BBC News Northern Ireland reports that plans are being drawn up by health trusts to ensure more urgent cancer treatment is provided in the coming week.[36]
  • Following the cancellation of transfer tests, it is reported that grammar schools in Northern Ireland will not use academic tests to admit pupils in 2021.[37]
  • 24 January – BBC News reports that testing capacity for the new COVID variant is limited, though testing is taking place.[38]
  • 25 January –
    • Finance Minister Conor Murphy confirms that almost £300m of funding set aside for tackling the impact of COVID-19 in the present financial year remains unspent.[39]
    • First Minister Arlene Foster has described Northern Ireland's ability to test for variants of COVID as "massively more advanced" than that of the Irish Republic.[40]
    • Police begin an investigation into possible breaches of COVID regulations at the funeral in Derry of Eamon McCourt, a member of the Provisional IRA who died from COVID-19.[41]
    • The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland has reported a "sustained, noticeable drop" in the number of child protection referrals since schools were closed at the beginning of the present lockdown.[42]
  • 26 January –
    • The Department of Health confirms plans to vaccinate everyone in Northern Ireland over the age of 65 by the end of February.[43]
    • It is confirmed that Professor Ian Young, Northern Ireland's Chief Scientific Adviser and a prominent figure during the pandemic, is on leave from his post due to health grounds.[44]
  • 27 January –
    • Health and Social Care confirms that people aged 65–69 can begin booking their COVID vaccinations.[45]
    • Health Minister Robin Swann confirms that healthcare workers are to get a "special recognition" payment of £500 in recognition of their work during the pandemic.[46]
  • 28 January –
    • The Northern Ireland Executive agrees that most schools in Northern Ireland will not return until at least Monday 8 March.[47]
    • The Department of Health confirms that Northern Ireland is to receive a "significant supply" of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine the following week, allowing those aged over 70 to attend their local surgery for vaccination.[48]
    • First Minister Arlene Foster confirms that the Kent variant of COVID accounts for between 40% and 50% of cases.[48]
  • 29 January –
  • 30 January – Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says he is "confident" vaccine supplies and the UK's vaccine programme can continue as planned, and that the EU "made a mistake" by triggering emergency provisions in the Brexit agreement.[52]
  • 31 January –
    • Police are warning the public to be aware of a scam offering a fake COVID vaccination; the recipient receives a text message inviting them to click on a link which asks for their bank details.[53]
    • Police are reported to be investigating potential COVID breaches after a large crowd gathered for the funeral of senior Ulster Volunteer Force figure Hugh Hill in North Belfast two days earlier.[54]

February 2021
  • 1 February –
    • Health Minister Robin Swann confirms that as of Sunday 31 January, 246,421 COVID vaccinations had been given in Northern Ireland.[55]
    • BBC News reports that some staff members at special schools will be prioritised for COVID vaccination.[56]
    • The Orange Order postpones a parade celebrating the centenary of the establishment of Northern Ireland that was scheduled for 29 May. It has also advised that no parades should take place in June.[57]
  • 2 February – GCSE, AS and A Level qualifications will be calculated by schools in 2021, it is confirmed.[58]
  • 3 February –
    • Health Minister Robin Swann confirms that COVID cases are falling in Northern Ireland, but that they are still "too high".[59]
    • Figures published by the Department of Health show that 4,000 "red flag" cancer procedures, including surgery and endoscopies, have been cancelled since the beginning of the pandemic.[60]
  • 4 February – First Minister Arlene Foster confirms that 263,735 people in Northern Ireland have received their first COVID vaccination.[61]
  • 5 February –
    • The police watchdog launches an investigation after a victim of the 1992 Sean Graham bookmakers' shooting was arrested for COVID rule breaches at a memorial service marking the anniversary of the shooting.[62] An officer is subsequently suspended over the incident, and another redeployed to other duties.[63]
    • The number of vaccinations delivered in Northern Ireland stands at 301,279, with 275,232 first doses and 26,047 second vaccines. But announcing these figures, Health Minister Robin Swann warns people against complacency.[64]
  • 8 February – People from Northern Ireland crossing the border into the Irish Republic without a reasonable excuse are being sent back by Gardai, and face a fine of €100 (£88).[65]
  • 9 February –
    • At a medical briefing, Dr Michael McBride, Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, says it will not be possible to fully lift COVID restrictions until between 70% and 80% of people have been vaccinated. At present, 22% of Northern Ireland's population have been vaccinated, with most care home residents having received their second vaccination.[66]
    • The Irish Government has said talks are ongoing with the European Union to prevent further difficulties for Northern Ireland when receiving COVID-19 vaccinations from Europe.[67]
    • A report published by the British Red Cross highlights the effect the pandemic has had on loneliness in Northern Ireland, and urges the Executive to develop a strategy for dealing with loneliness.[68]

See also

References
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  2. "Transfer test: Pupils to sit AQE test on 9 January". 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. "Covid-19: Post-primary pupils in NI to wear face coverings in class". 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  4. "Covid-19: NI records 26 more virus-linked deaths". 2 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. "Covid-19: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout begins in Northern Ireland". 4 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. "Covid-19: 'Stay at home' to become law in NI on Friday". 5 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. "Almost 10,000 care home residents receive vaccine". 5 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. "Northern Ireland cancels GCSE and A-level exams". 6 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  9. "Coronavirus: Belfast Trust cancels urgent cancer surgeries". 7 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
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  12. "Covid-19: School meals and transport on hold until February". 9 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. "Covid-19: NI lorry drivers going to France will need negative test". 9 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  14. "Covid-19: Inpatient numbers 'could double by third week of January'". 10 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  15. "Coronavirus: Number of Covid-19 jabs given in NI reaches 91,954". 11 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
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  65. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55966155
  66. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56000840
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