Foster: Any changes to lockdown will be minor and nuanced

She told BBC Breakfast today: “We don’t want to take any chances that it will go above the number 1 again.

“Everything will stay as it is.

“We don’t just look at the public health, of course that is the priority, we do have to look at the economic damage that is being done to our country and the societal damage and the wider health issues we have to take into account as well.

“We will look to see if we can make minor amendments within those three weeks.”

The Northern Ireland First Minister said she spoke with Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday, who said he was “moving forward with maximum caution”.

She told BBC Breakfast: “He, and I as well, want us to move forward if we can in a four-nations way.

“Because when we do that we have a simplicity of message, we have a clarity of message, and people really understand what’s really going on when we move together as a bloc.”

Mrs Foster ruled out making any changes at all during lockdown, saying: “There’s a difference between sticking with the restrictions and making nuanced changes.”

“We can make nuanced changes within those three weeks.

“During those three weeks we can look to see if there are some nuanced changes we can make and I would put going out more for exercise in the open air as a nuanced change rather than a fundamental change.

“I think those things can be looked at… but what is important is the regulations are put in place for another three weeks.”