Officials say it is due to pressures caused by dealing with a rise in bacterial and viral infections.
He said routine procedures could be things like Ear, Nose and Throat or orthopaedic procedures and minor elective surgery, but that all emergency procedures would go ahead."This is a relatively common infection but it's occurring at the wrong time of year - not the time of year we expect to see it.
"All we can say to people who come in is to try another pharmacy or ask their GP for another antibiotic, although supplies of those are running low," he said.Most strep A infections are mild - a sore throat or a skin infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics.Some people develop scarlet fever, which causes a skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature., up from 43 in October.
The Public Health Agency said there was no indication Northern Ireland was seeing more deaths from iGAS than in previous years.
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