It is almost universally accepted that developing an effective means of contact tracing to track the spread of coronavirus offers a key route out of this crisis.
So it was very encouraging to hear Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride tell the Stormont health committee on Thursday that an enhanced contact tracing programme will be piloted here from next week.
In some other positive news, health minister Robin Swann said extra critical care capacity is not expected to be needed in Northern Ireland during the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak. However, Mr Swann added that preparations would need to be made for a likely second wave of infections later in the year.
It was sad to read about the death of one of the founders of the DUP on Thursday. Charlie Poots, son of the current agriculture minister Edwin Poots, became a close friend of the late Rev Ian Paisley and survived a republican murder bid in 1976.
The death of Mr Poots came just a day after Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP MP for Lagan Valley, announced the death of his father, Jim Donaldson.
Everyone at the News Letter sends our condolences to the wider Poots and Donaldson families.
Stay safe,
Alistair Bushe, Editor
Here are today's headlines:
Northern Ireland is set to begin planning for a second wave of COVID-19 infections predicted to arrive later in the year, Health Minister, Robin Swann has revealed. Minister Swann, who made the comments while appearing before the Northern Ireland Health Committee on Thursday, said the lack of certainty surrounding a possible vaccine makes planning for a second wave of infections the practical and responsible next step to take. "Modelling has indicated that we are now in the peak of the first wave of the pandemic but it's too early to confirm whether the current figures represent the peak," he said. "And in the absence of a vaccine we will have to plan for a potential second wave of COVID-19 cases later in the year."
The number of people to die in Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19 has risen by 13 to 263 in the last 24 hours. The 13 new deaths all occurred in hospitals throughout Northern Ireland. The total number of patients to test positive for COVID-19 in Northern increased by 142 to 3,016. A total of 858 patients availed of 1,006 tests around Northern Ireland in the last 24 hours.
Contact tracing to track the spread of coronavirus is set to start in Northern Ireland next week. Chief medical officer Michael McBride told the Stormont health committee that an enhanced contact tracing programme will be piloted. He said it was previously stopped based on "sound public health considerations", adding that as the nation moves into the next phase it will become "crucially important" to ramp up contact tracing to get on top of local pockets of the virus. Dr McBride said officials will work alongside colleagues in the UK and the Republic of Ireland using similar digital platforms to share information and enhance tracing.
The UK government announced this evening that testing will be extended to essential workers and their families. The full list of essential workers can be found here
There have been a further 616 coronavirus related deaths across the UK, taking the total to 18,738. It is the lowest weekday rise for three weeks.
Our latest Alone Together coronavirus podcast is now available to download. The latest episode pays tribute to the health heroes in our communities who are in the front line of the battle against the virus. You can download it from Apple, Spotify, and Entale
A 'Scrubs for NHS' charity organiser has revealed how receiving a charity donation of sheets she received in a wedding present 60 years ago "e;reduced me to a blubbering mess"e;.
A Carnlough woman is to donate her payment for weekend healthcare assistant shifts at Antrim Hospital to Ulster University's cornavirus testing fundraising appeal.
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