No further Covid-19 restrictions following Stormont Executive meeting

The First Minister was speaking following a virtual meeting of the Stormont Executive on Thursday.

He said ministers agreed that no further restrictions should be introduced at this time.

The Executive will continue to assess the data as more information emerges, Mr Givan added in a tweet after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots tweeted that the self-isolation period for confirmed Covid-19 cases will be reduced in Northern Ireland from 10 days to seven in line with England.

Mr Givan also tweeted around that decision, adding that the new rule will be subject to negative lateral flow tests on days six and seven, adding this policy will apply retrospectively and take effect from Friday.

Ministers are to meet again on January 6.

Mr Givan said the approach is the right one at this time.

“This recognises that Omicron is now the dominant strain in Northern Ireland with over 90% of all new cases, and it is more transmissible, having a detrimental impact on the availability of staff within public and private sector organisations,” he said.

“It is critical that we can continue to deliver those key services to the public and this new policy is the right approach at this time.”

On Thursday minister heard that the Omicron variant was estimated to be accounting for 90% of cases in the region.

Department of Health modelling data seen by the PA news agency, which was presented to ministers, indicated that while the Delta variant was expected to gradually decline, a “more modest Delta epidemic” could persist in parallel with a larger Omicron outbreak.

It set out that a peak in numbers would occur in early to mid-January/early February, with hospital admissions and occupancy peaking in late January/early February.

The extent of the peak would depend on the severity of illness with Omicron.

Officials were said to be closely monitoring data emerging from Northern Ireland, as well as the experience in England and Scotland.

Ministers were told that if Omicron was associated with illness as severe as Delta, “significant intervention” would be required to keep hospital inpatient numbers at less than 1,000.

But if the severity of Omicron was substantially reduced from that seen with Delta, close to an 80% reduction, current measures could be sufficient.

The latest restrictions, which came into effect on Monday, include table service only in bars and restaurants, two-metre social distancing in offices, the closure of nightclubs and a ban on dancing at hospitality venues, with the exception of weddings.

Under the new measures, people are also being asked to limit their social contacts, with the public being advised that only three households should mix together in a private home.

Last week, ministers agreed a £40 million grant scheme to support hospitality businesses affected by the latest Covid-19 restrictions.