Boxing hero Carl Frampton hits out at ‘backwards’ NI leadership over Covid - ‘schools closed but churches are still open’

Religious buildings are among the few public places that remain open in the current six-week lockdown, during which people have been asked to stay at home.

The two-time world champion from Belfast, a father of two, hit out at the decision on Twitter.

He said: “I am a proud Northern Irish man. I always have been and always will be.

“I love to try and promote my country wherever I go, but closing the schools and keeping the churches open shows you how backward thinking our leadership is.”

Earlier First Minister Arlene Foster said she is hoping for a “voluntary agreement” over churches.

She told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme she was reluctant to force churches to shut and “would prefer that we worked together on this issue”.

“The last thing that I certainly want to have to do is to put regulations in against faith and against worship, because it is so important for many, many people that they can come together to worship God.”

“The last thing that I want to have to do is to put regulations in against faith and against worship.”

Stormont’s junior ministers are to meet faith leaders to discuss moving all religious ceremonies online in a bid to curb rising Covid-19 infections.

Several congregations have already taken decisions at local level to suspend public worship, temporarily moving their services online-only ceremonies.