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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
William Dunne

Coronavirus Ireland update: Fourth person dies from Covid-19 in North as family ask for her to be named

An elderly woman has become the fourth person to die from the coronavirus in Northern Ireland.

Ruth Burke, 82, passed away on Monday night, becoming the 10th person on the island of Ireland to die from Covid-19.

Her heartbroken daughter Brenda asked for Ruth to be named as the family did not want her to be just another statistic.

On Monday, the NI Department of Health recorded a total of 148 cases of the virus and two death. The latest official figures will be released on Tuesday afternoon.

Mrs Burke's daughter Brenda told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback how she could not kiss her mum goodbye because of how contagious the bug is.

She said: "She lived for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren - they put smiles on her face.

Her heartbroken daughter Brenda asked for Ruth to be named (AFP via Getty Images)

"There is a frustration that people don't understand, they're not being respectful of what they're told."

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said her "heart goes out" to the family as she insisted: "We can stop the spread of the virus."

She said: "We have an ability as a people to do something right now that would minimise the number of people that will be sitting today like Brenda and her family having lost a loved one.

"We can do that, we can stop the spread of the virus by taking action, by being responsible, by taking the public health advice."

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