Image copyright AFP

The Stormont Executive is expected to discuss whether Northern Ireland's quarantine regulations can be eased when it meets later.

Currently, anyone entering from outside the Common Travel Area must isolate for 14 days.

A leaked Department of Health paper advised that travellers from the rest of the UK present the greatest risk of bringing Covid-19 into NI.

Changes to England and Scotland's quarantine rules take effect on Friday.

The governments in London and Holyrood have agreed separate exemption lists for people arriving from more than 50 destinations that now pose a reduced risk from coronavirus.

Health measures like quarantine are set by each UK region separately, and some tourism and travel leaders in Northern Ireland have argued Stormont ministers must follow suit.

However, the executive has yet to decide whether to adopt any so-called "air bridges", with only people arriving from within the Common Travel Area currently exempt from quarantine.

The Common Travel Area covers the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Northern Ireland's quarantine rules took effect on 8 June, with fines of up to £1,000 possible for those caught leaving isolation prematurely.

It has emerged Stormont's Health Minister Robin Swann received advice stating travellers from the rest of the UK create "by far the greatest risk, both in relative and absolute terms" of spreading the virus in NI.

However, the paper concluded any approach adopted by Stormont would need to be "revisited regularly" as the incidence and prevalence of the virus is changing constantly.

In a statement, the Department of Health said it did not comment on executive papers, but stressed Mr Swann wanted the matter resolved at Thursday's meeting.

Stormont ministers were due to review the international travel regulations at Monday's executive meeting, but it did not make it on to the agenda.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis rejected suggestions of quarantine between UK nations to prevent the spread of coronavirus, arguing it would amount to a "breach" of the Common Travel Area.

The government's focus would be on implementing local lockdowns in cases of specific outbreaks, he added.

Taoiseach visit postponed

At Thursday's meeting, the executive is also expected to sign off on conditional plans for indoor weddings to be permitted in Northern Ireland from Friday.

They had also set out plans to allow indoor gyms and playgrounds to reopen from 10 July, which are set to be approved if the spread of the virus has remained low.

It had been anticipated that Micheál Martin would visit Stormont on Thursday for the first time since becoming taoiseach (Irish PM) last month, but that will now not take place.

It is believed plans for the visit had not been confirmed and Mr Martin is now expected to meet the first and deputy first ministers at some stage next week.

In the Republic of Ireland, official government advice against all non-essential travel is to remain in place until 20 July.

The Irish government had planned to publish a "green" list of countries.

However, concern about surges of the virus in other countries prompted health advice that those restrictions should remain in place.