Coronavirus: Ministers to discuss financial support for NI businesses

Stormont ministers will meet later on Thursday to discuss what further financial support can be found for NI businesses affected by new coronavirus restrictions.

From Friday evening, hospitality firms will only be allowed to offer takeaway and delivery services for four weeks.

Hair and beauty salons have to shut and gyms face additional measures too.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy said the executive had to find ways of getting support to businesses "very quickly".

He has already announced additional grants for hospitality businesses in the Derry City and Strabane council area, where extra restrictions have been in force since 5 October.

That scheme opened for applications on Wednesday.

Some businesses will also be able to continue to avail of the UK government's furlough scheme but that runs out at the end of October.

After that, the Job Support Scheme has been extended, which will allow employees who work for firms forced to close because of restrictions to have two-thirds of their wages paid for by the government.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said the scheme does not go far enough.

"Two-thirds doesn't amount to very much, so we're very much asking the British government to intervene," she said.

"Alongside that what we need to see is a scheme that helps businesses stay afloat during this period."

Mr Murphy said ministers recognised the new raft of restrictions across Northern Ireland, due to last for four weeks, would cause "broad damage" to the economy.

"Footfall is down, retail is struggling and supply chains will be down - so the executive collectively across a range of departments has to find ways and means to get support to businesses very quickly," he added.

The minister suggested further support packages would have to be able to last until the "end of the financial year".

The executive must ensure it has enough resources to account for any further interventions that may be required to curb the spread of the virus, he added.

Mr Murphy also said he wanted to hear proposals from other Stormont departments about providing assistance to those people who do not currently qualify for any other financial assistance.

Wednesday saw new measures announced for all of Northern Ireland, with schools closing for two weeks from Monday and hospitality firms and other businesses being restricted from Friday for a month.

The executive has promised updated guidance explaining the rules will be posted on the government NI Direct website.

At Thursday's executive meeting, ministers are also likely to look again at the effect of other coronavirus measures already in place in Northern Ireland.

NI's chief health advisers have warned it would take two to three weeks before the impact of the new restrictions could be assessed.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health recorded a further 1,217 cases and four more deaths with Covid-19.

There have now been 23,115 cases since the pandemic began - a quarter of which have been reported in the past week.

In the Republic of Ireland, a further 1,095 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed and five additional deaths.

The Irish government has announced a near-total ban on household visits, and three of the border counties have been moved to the second highest level of restrictions.