Delta variant could lead to surge of hospitalisations, warns Northern Ireland Health Minister

Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann has issued a warning over the spread of the Covid Delta variant (Niall Carson/PA)

Northern Ireland's Health Minister Robin Swann has said current modelling suggests that if the Delta Covid variant becomes dominant in the region, there is the potential for a surge in hospitalisations by late summer.

But Mr Swann insisted this was “not inevitable” and said the actions of people now could still have a crucial bearing on the direction of the pandemic this summer.