Six more COVID-19 patients have died in the North, bringing the total to 28.
The Northern Ireland Department of Health has also confirmed 53 more cases of the virus, bringing the total to 586.
It means 82 people have now died on the island of Ireland, with 3,496 confirmed cases north and south.
Officials in the North have now tested a total of 5885 people for the virus – far less than the number carried out in the Republic.
The figures come as the Tánaiste Simon Coveney holds a conference call with the Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis, Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill and DUP leader Arlene Foster.
Dr Gabriel Scally on his way into Buswells Hotel in Dublin, 11-06-2019. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNewsThis morning, Dr Gabriel Scally, the man who led the inquiry in the CervicalCheck scandal, warned that the differing approaches on each side of the border could lead to more deaths down the road.
He said the different authorities must make use of Ireland's natural advantage and implement controls on movement on and off the island.
He said it is absurd that a person in Lifford has to self-isolate for two weeks if they show symptoms – while a someone a stone’s throw away in Strabane only has to isolate for seven days.
Meanwhile, the HSE is working to identify as many patients as possible through widespread intensive community testing and contact tracing, while the North community testing and contact tracing were largely abandoned on March 13th.
“In the Republic with its network of over 40 community testing facilities, the aim is to reach 100,000 tests per week by the end of April,” he said. “
“Whereas the North has set a goal of performing just under 8,000 tests per week.
The advantage of good data on #coronavirus. The South of Ireland shows that a substantial proportion of new cases are in institutions, particularly nursing homes. Regrettable, but a good opportunity to enact effective control measures. Data from North and UK??? pic.twitter.com/3puO0ir1g6
— Gabriel Scally (@GabrielScally) March 30, 2020
Meanwhile, he said the Republic has watched and learned from countries like South Korea and China that have successfully controlled the disease, while the UK has “ignored both experience elsewhere and the relevant international bodies.”
He said the different approaches were likely to see more people in the North infected at an earlier leading to increased pressures on the health service and more deaths.
Data on progress of #coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland. pic.twitter.com/jeCsq8Bz25
— Gabriel Scally (@GabrielScally) March 30, 2020
He warned that the different approaches could also lead to a second mass outbreak further down the line.
“Without both effective mechanisms to detect and deal with new cases that will inevitably arise north and south and common restrictions on travel to and from the island, we could find ourselves yet again in the midst of a mass outbreak,” he said.
“Two different approaches to testing and contact tracing are just not compatible with achieving the level of control needed to win the battle.”
He urged leaders in the North to break away from the strategies in place in Britain and begin working with the Government here in a bid to harmonise the response north and south.
