Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill has contracted Covid-19

Northern Ireland’s Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has disclosed that she has contracted Covid-19 and has gone into self-isolation.

Ms O’Neill posted a tweet on Tuesday afternoon saying she has Covid-19, notwithstanding that she was double-jabbed against the disease.

“I am thankful to have had two doses of the vaccine. I’ll remain in self-isolation, and hope to return to my public duties next week,” she said.

Ms O'Neill added that Sinn Féin junior minister Declan Kearney "will take forward departmental business in the meantime".

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Meanwhile, the North’s Department of Health in its Tuesday afternoon bulletin reported six more Covid-19 deaths in the North, taking the death toll in Northern Ireland from the pandemic to 2,364.

There were 38 Covid-19 deaths there in the past seven days, compared with 58 in the previous week.

The department on Tuesday also reported 1,313 new positive cases of Covid-19, with 10,620 cases reported in the North in the past seven days.

Currently, there are 391 patients receiving Covid treatment in Northern Ireland’s hospitals, with 44 in intensive care and 37 on ventilators.

Overall hospital bed occupancy is at 103 per cent.