The 40 NI postcodes with the highest number of new positive Covid-19 cases

Dear reader,

It is the second day of our campaign, A Shot In The Arm, which is pressing to ensure that community pharmacists are involved in administering the coronavirus vaccine across the UK.

A woman who manages a body encompassing hundreds of pharmacy outlets across Northern Ireland is backing our campaign for local chemists to be involved in the vaccination effort.

Julie Greenfield, the manager of Pharmacy Forum NI, and also a practising pharmacist herself, told the News Letter that there is “capacity and willingness among the profession here to support the vaccine roll-out”.

The Department of Health says it is supportive of pharmacists becoming involved but has so far declined to give a timetable for the involvement of community pharmacies in the rollout.

Patricia Donnelly, head of the Covid-19 vaccine programme in Northern Ireland, revealed on Tuesday that almost 100,000 jabs have so far been administered since it started on December 8.

That news comes as the Department of Health confirmed another 22 deaths related to coronavirus over the last 24 hours. Another 1,205 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours.

Alistair Bushe,

Editor

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