Coronavirus: NI ministers to meet amid growing Covid pressure

Stormont ministers will meet later on Tuesday, amid growing pressure to reach a decision about imposing new coronavirus restrictions across Northern Ireland.

Health officials have suggested measures should last between four to six weeks to have the greatest effect.

The executive will consider proposals from Health Minister Robin Swann.

But there are tensions between the five executive parties about the duration and nature of any further restrictions.

It is understood the Department of Health is of the view that action must be in force by this Friday at the latest.

The executive is bringing forward its usual scheduled Thursday meeting in a bid to address the matter.

On Monday, a further 877 cases were recorded by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 21,035.

More than 6,000 of those cases have been recorded in the past seven days.

The department's death toll stands at 591.

According to departmental data, there are 140 Covid inpatients in NI's hospitals and 22 patients in intensive care - 15 of those patients are being ventilated.

In the Derry City and Strabane council area, the Covid infection rate has risen to 971 per 100,000 of the population over the past seven days.

Tighter restrictions have been in force there since 5 October, but the Western Trust has said hospital admissions are "doubling every three to four days".

Health officials at Stormont have expressed alarm at the situation, saying that if wider actions are not implemented by Friday, it will have serious implications for the health service.

In England, a new three-tier system has been introduced with different areas put into one of three levels - medium, high and very high.

Full details have not been divulged - but it is understood Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young have set out a range of options for ministers to consider on Tuesday.

It is believed ministers will be asked to weigh up further restrictions on hospitality and assess the impact of closing schools for a short period, to try to lower the R-number in Northern Ireland.

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 to be at about 1.5, but officials say the executive and the public must endeavour to get it back below one.

It is thought that bringing in measures for six weeks would have the maximum effect ahead of the Christmas holidays, but the executive will have the final say on any decisions.

The DUP has called for more evidence to be produced to support the proposals advocating NI-wide restrictions.

On Monday, the party's Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he preferred using localised measures in hotspot areas, as opposed to wider measures across Northern Ireland.

He did not entirely rule out NI-wide restrictions but said he needed to be convinced that "closing businesses and schools will stop the spread of this virus".

There is speculation that schools could be given an extended half-term break, but Education Minister Peter Weir has said it is "critical" that schools remain open on a regular basis.

He said this was so pupils are not put at a disadvantage to students in Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland, where longer closures have not been announced.

On Monday, Mr Swann, of the Ulster Unionist Party, said that "decisive action" needed to be taken by the executive immediately, echoing a sentiment from Sinn Féin's Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, who also called for more financial assistance to "support workers, families and business in these challenging times".

Alliance and the SDLP have also spoken in favour of wider restrictions to tackle the spiralling number of cases, but are urging Westminster to provide further "financial firepower" to Stormont.

The range of views within the executive, which is made up of a five-party power-sharing coalition, mean that reaching a decision on Tuesday on further restrictions will be challenging.