Stormont scenario-planning potential further restrictions ahead of Omicron variant becoming dominant | ‘likely that Omicron will interrupt lives in Northern Ireland’

Mr Givan said the transmission rate of the variant is causing concern in Great Britain.

The DUP minister said Northern Ireland was “behind the curve” and should be able to “get through the next number of weeks” before Omicron becomes dominant in the country.

“We don’t need to be panicking but we do need to recognise that what we are being advised is that this new variant is going to become a challenge for us in Northern Ireland early in the new year and we need to be ready for that,” he said.

“So preparation is taking place. That’s what some of the discussion will be at the Executive today, so that we have all of this thought through in terms of what may be necessary.

“That’s why I’ve said ‘don’t panic’ but we, as leaders of the Executive, need to make sure that proper preparedness is in place and we look at a range of scenarios and … it is prudent for us to be considering these things.”

First Minister Paul Givan, speaking on a visit to Lagan Valley hospital in Lisburn, said the controversy around allegations of a coronavirus rule breaking party at Downing Street had damaged the public health message.

“I think it has done damage and what I would say to people is ‘look beyond the political drama of what’s going on at Downing Street’,” he said.

“Because the evidence that we’re hearing from the scientific experts in and of itself tells us that we need to be having a prepared state in terms of what we need to consider, and so the public shouldn’t be distracted by what has happened with the Prime Minister and what’s going on at Downing Street, continue to listen to the good advice that’s coming from our health professionals, our scientific experts and cut through the noise that’s being generated from Downing Street.

“But, undoubtedly, that is an unhelpful distraction. It does undermine people’s credibility whenever you’re asking people to follow rules whenever there’s clearly concern for the way in which things have been done at Downing Street.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill also said the Downing Street Christmas party controversy had undermined the public health messaging.

“There’s no doubt that it undermines the public health message but what we’re focused on here today is just to drive home that message that what we have in place here (in terms of restrictions) is enough if two things happen – if we have strong enforcement and if the public adhere,” said Ms O’Neill.

“So this is our best chance to get us to the other side of Christmas and into the new year. We do not want to be standing in front of the cameras to announce to the public that we’re bringing in restrictions again, we want to avoid that.

“But I think collectively we’ve all then got an opportunity here to actually avoid that if everybody can just double down, just be cautious, be careful in the weeks ahead.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill it was likely that Omicron will interrupt lives in Northern Ireland.

“We want to avoid introducing restrictions, we want to keep people open and safe,” she said.

“We want to take the pressure off the health service but, ultimately, I think it’s inevitable that at some point the Omicron variant is going to cause difficulties for our health service but also economically because I think it is going to interrupt lives if it spreads in the way in which it potentially can, and the evidence shows from elsewhere that it will spread rapidly.

“So that will have an impact in terms of services, I would imagine. But we’re working to try to avoid introducing restrictions. We don’t want to be in that space. But we do think that by early in the new year this strain will be the dominant strain.”