page_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
section_title: April 2020
hierarchical_section_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland / Timeline / April 2020
caption_attribution_description: English: A deserted A1 near Newry on Saturday 4th April 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
context_page_description: The COVID-19 pandemic reached Northern Ireland on 27 February 2020. According to the Department of Health, 560 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reports 869 people have died. Northern Ireland has the lowest recorded coronavirus death rate in the United Kingdom and a lower rate than the Republic of Ireland. It is also carrying out more tests per capita than the other countries of the United Kingdom. According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the vast majority of deaths linked to COVID-19 were among over-75s and almost half were in care homes. It is believed the infection rate is higher in care homes than in the community, which is inflating the overall rate.
  As in the rest of the UK, all "non-essential" travel and contact with people outside one's home is restricted for the whole population, and almost all businesses, venues, facilities, amenities and places of worship are shut. Major events such as Saint Patrick's Day were cancelled. A lengthy lockdown is forecast to severely damage the economy and lead to a large rise in unemployment.
context_section_description: On 1 April, a further 103 cases and 2 deaths were confirmed as Health Minister Robin Swann warned that 3000 people could die in the first wave of the pandemic. On 2 April, 85 more cases and 6 more deaths were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases and deaths to 774 and 36 respectively. On 3 April, the largest increase in deaths and cases to date was published by the Public Health Agency with 130 cases and 12 deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 904 and the number of deaths to 48.
  On 4 April, a further 94 new cases and 8 new deaths were announced, as Northern Ireland's first coronavirus testing centre for healthcare workers opened at the SSE Arena, Belfast. Health Minister Robin Swann said the new testing facility in Belfast “will allay some of the concern and speculation we have had of late. I fully understand the frustration that we have not been able to scale up testing numbers more quickly. This is not down to a lack of will or action. There are significant challenges including laboratory and staffing capacity and the unprecedented levels of global demand for testing reagents and swabs.”
  It was reported that more than 33,000 people so far had claimed unemployment benefits since the lockdown began, ten times the normal rate. Economists forecast that a lengthy lockdown and disruption would lead to hundreds of thousands of job losses.
  On 5 April, an additional 91 cases and 7 deaths were reported, bringing the total number of cases and deaths to 1,089 and 63 respectively.
  On 6 April, the Orange Order announced that the annual 12th July celebrations were cancelled, as a further 69 cases and 7 deaths were confirmed. A further 97 cases and 3 deaths were announced by the Public Health Agency on 7 April, as a second drive-through testing centre opened at an MOT centre in Belfast. With Easter weekend approaching, on 8 April, the Police Service of Northern Ireland warned people against visiting local beauty spots, as the death toll increased to 78 with 5 more deaths and 84 new cases being reported.
  A further 4 deaths and 138 cases were confirmed on 9 April as experts predicted a deep recession in Northern Ireland following the crisis.  Research by the Northern Ireland Assembly Library found that Northern Ireland has a lower coronavirus death rate per capita than the other countries of the United Kingdom, and a lower death rate than the Republic of Ireland. It was also revealed that Northern Ireland has a higher coronavirus testing rate per capita than the other countries of the United Kingdom.
  On 10 April, a further 10 deaths and 112 cases were reported, bringing the totals to 92 deaths and 1,589 cases.
  On 11 April, 15 more deaths and 128 new cases were confirmed as Health Minister Robin Swann called on the Army for assistance in fighting the disease. New cases increased by 89 to 1806, and deaths by 11 to 118 on 12 April. On 15 April, 6 more people died of the virus and another 121 cases were confirmed, as lock-down measures were extended for another three weeks with Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill warning against complacency stating, "Our biggest danger in this period is complacency. The measures are showing positive results but if we relax our behaviour, we will be in danger." 
  On 15 April, Arlene Foster, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, extended the period of lockdown in Northern Ireland to 9 May, as 121 new cases and 6 new deaths were confirmed. Modelling by the Department of Health indicated that Northern Ireland had reached the peak of its outbreak, and that the health service in Northern Ireland could now cope with the expected peak in cases. Swann said that the peak "may now, potentially, be less severe than we had feared".
  On 20 April, the Department of Health launched a new website that provides daily statistic updates, such as information on hospital admissions and discharges, bed occupancy and a breakdown of case and death numbers by age and gender. Speaking about the launch, Health Minister Robin Swann said, "It is vitally important to keep the public well informed. T
caption: A deserted A1 on the outskirts of Newry during lockdown on 4 April.
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