Coronavirus: Belfast should follow Derry lead in fight against COVID-19, says People Before Profit

A People Before Profit councillor in Belfast has called for City Hall to follow Derry City and Strabane's lead in closing all municipal buildings to the public.

By Kevin Mullan

Published 14th Mar 2020, 17:56 BST

Updated 14th Mar 2020, 18:00 BST

A closed notice at the Guildhall in Derry.

Belfast City Council agreed to shut a number of council buildings in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

But North Belfast representative and Party Group Leader Fiona Ferguson said: "We are somewhat frustrated, however, that stronger measures like closing leisure centres are not being taken - they have already been closed in Dublin and Derry and we called for this in Belfast tonight.

"We urge the big parties who do not support urgently closing leisure centres to reconsider now that we have proof of community transmission of the virus.

"We will continue to engage with council officials over the coming days to ensure the concerns of council staff and our constituents are being heard."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.