Coronavirus: NI measures 'should last four to six weeks'

Stormont health officials are understood to have suggested tighter coronavirus measures should last four to six weeks to have the greatest impact.

Ministers have been considering ways to curb the spread in NI, as infection rates continue to spiral.

Thursday's planned executive meeting is set to be brought forward to Tuesday.

Earlier, a number of Stormont ministers took part in a meeting of the UK's emergency Cobra committee.

Later on Monday, the first and deputy first ministers and NI's health minister will meet the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to discuss the crisis.

Meanwhile, BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show has reported claims from an unnamed executive minister that Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride wanted restrictions to last the full six weeks, to be as effective as possible in reducing the R-rate.

The R-number represents the number of individuals who, on average, will be infected by a single person with coronavirus.

In Northern Ireland it is currently estimated at about 1.5, and officials have said more restrictions need to be introduced to bring R back below one.

The executive has the final say on any decisions.

It is no surprise there are differing opinions between Northern Ireland's health officials and political parties about where to go next.

It appears that what happened in the Republic of Ireland - when the government diverged from public health recommendations to enforce the tightest level of restrictions - could be mirrored this week at Stormont.

DUP ministers want more evidence that the current restrictions on hospitality in hotspot areas are effective, before deciding whether to place them across all of NI.

They also remain concerned about the damage harsher measures will do to the economy.

Then there are massive questions about when to bring in any potential new measures and how long they should last.

A Stormont source said the takeaway from the Cobra meeting was that "sitting back and doing nothing is not an option", and the executive parties have said throughout the pandemic they would be guided by the science.

But political decision-making this time around may prove that it's merely part of a much bigger balancing act.

Dr McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young have advised that Northern Ireland-wide restrictions must be in place by no later than Friday, BBC News NI understands.

It is not clear what these restrictions would cover, but there is growing speculation they could:

But speaking on Monday, Education Minister Peter Weir said it was critical that schools remained open.

"There is a strong need as we move ahead to ensure that our children don't suffer further through loss of learning," said the DUP minister.

"There is a need to protect education, schools themselves don't seem to be particular spreaders."

Closing schools would not be helpful in any way helpful, said Mr Weir.

"Even short term closures would damage children's education," he added.

Speaking in the assembly, Health Minister Robin Swann said his officials had called for "decisive action now" from the executive, with proposals submitted on Sunday evening.

"The role of our chief medical officer and our chief scientific adviser is to provide advice from a health perspective," he added.

"Other sectors will quite properly have additional issues and concerns, and it is ultimately for the executive to consider all factors together. It would not be helpful to focus on any of these perspectives in isolation."

Mr Swann said he would not make the guidance public before it had been discussed by executive ministers.

First Minister Arlene Foster, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Mr Swann held discussions about the crisis with Dr McBride and Prof Young on Sunday.

"Heavier restrictions are not inevitable," said Mrs Foster in a video posted on Twitter on Monday.

She said the executive would have "big decisions" to make this week, expressing disappointment that "a small minority" of people were ignoring restrictions.

Her party colleague, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, said he wanted to see more evidence about the effectiveness of tightened restrictions before the executive took further decisions.

"What we're asking the chief medical officer, why do we need a full lockdown in those areas where the infection rate is much lower so as to combat the spread of infection in places like Derry and Strabane?" he said.

It comes as one further death and 1,066 new cases were reported by the Department of Health on Sunday - Northern Ireland's second-highest daily figure after 1,080 positive cases were recorded on Friday.

Nearly 6,000 people have tested positive over the past seven days - more than 30% of the total number of who have tested positive during the pandemic.

There are now 137 inpatients with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland's hospitals, 19 of whom are in intensive care.

Sunday's daily figures for the Republic of Ireland showed 814 new cases, with two deaths, bringing the country's total number of cases to 42,528, with a death toll of 1,826.

On Sunday, Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said she had tested negative for Covid-19 but would self-isolate after several family members tested positive.

Michelle O'Neill is also self-isolating after a relative tested positive.