Coronavirus: Further Covid restrictions 'needed this month'

Stormont ministers have been told that more Covid-19 interventions are necessary before the end of this month, BBC News NI understands.

The warning is part of Health Minister Robin Swann's latest advice to the executive.

It is believed the paper spells out that interventions are needed in late November.

Otherwise, a full lockdown in mid-December would not be enough to prevent hospital services being overwhelmed.

Ministers are set to discuss the advice from Mr Swann and his officials at Thursday's executive meeting.

It will be the first full meeting of ministers since last week's row over extending some regulations.

Robin Swann's latest paper to the executive sets out in stark terms the concerns of health officials about the direction Covid-19 is heading again.

It is believed the advice spells out that unless further interventions occur in late November, even implementing a full lockdown in mid-December would not be enough to stop hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Ministers will be under pressure to come to a decision quickly, given some businesses are due to open on Friday while hospitality is planning to reopen next week.

The DUP, which previously opposed the extension of some restrictions, has indicated it may not do so this time - given the concerning picture being presented by health officials.

On Wednesday, Mr Swann said he would bring a range of options to ministers including restrictions and initiatives, in the hopes of reaching consensus.

Mr Swann has said measures are aimed at restricting the spread of Covid-19 ahead of Christmas.

Speaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster Colin Neill said not being able to open on 27 November would be "devastating" for businesses.

"Why do we want to open? We want to open to save the jobs and businesses," he said.

"If we are not open, the current funding does not save the businesses, and furlough is not free.

"We have to have a business there paying £30 per person, per week to keep people on furlough."

Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) in NI, said easing restrictions now would see "us paying the price further down the road".

"The big problem is that we are still running at very high levels in the over 60s, our hospital beds are blocked, our ICUs are blocked," he said.

"Although we have reduced our numbers to a modest level in the community, they are still too high and still need more restrictions."

Meanwhile, Mr Swann has written to the UK government asking for four million fast-turnaround Covid-19 tests.

The tests would not have to be processed in a lab, making them suitable for mass testing.

Robin Swann made the request to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has yet to respond.

The Department of Health confirmed Mr Swann's request for the fast tests, which would allow Northern Ireland's entire population to be tested.

However, it is thought they would, if approved, more likely be used in a targeted way, by focusing on health workers or specific communities.

DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said mass testing in Northern Ireland would have a "significant impact" in reducing the infection rate and should be a government priority.

He said the method was "not a panacea on its own but it can make a significant contribution towards fighting this dreadful coronavirus".

"It will help to identify people who are asymptomatic, who are moving about the community and genuinely don't know that they have the virus," Mr Donaldson told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster.

"There is going to be a logistical challenge, but when you consider how well Liverpool have done in setting it up and getting the testing process in place, I think we're capable of doing that."

On Wednesday, Robin Swann suggested more measures should be introduced between now and the holiday period.

That was because the "single biggest priority" had to be forcing down rates of infection, he said.

Health officials have expressed concern that the R-number - or reproduction value - in Northern Ireland has risen again to around one.

It is not yet clear what exactly Mr Swann will propose to his ministerial colleagues, but they are likely to assess the latest modelling data and discuss a range of initiatives drawn up by health officials.

Last week saw four days of disagreement and heated exchanges within the executive, after Mr Swann called for the extension of all restrictions for two more weeks.

His proposals were backed by Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance.

But the DUP, which opposed the recommendations, faced criticism for triggering a cross-community vote, effectively giving its ministers a veto - something the party has not ruled out deploying again.

It has argued that better mitigations should be put in place to allow businesses to reopen safely, as keeping parts of the economy closed will cause long-term damage as well.

Close-contact services, cafes and coffee shops are set to reopen this Friday but restrictions on pubs, restaurants and hotels are due to expire at midnight next Thursday.