Call for urgent meeting of NI Executive on NI response to new Covid-19 variant

Details of the call to First Minister Arlene Foster came this afternoon.

The call for an urgent meeting came from Sinn Fein’s Conor Murpphy, the SDLP’s Nichola Mallon and Alliance Leader Naomi Long.

Yesterday the First Minister on Twitter said: “Just finished a call with the other UK First Ministers & CDL Michael Gove about how the UK handles this new strain of covid prevalent in SE England.

“Very concerning.

“Important we all follow the regulations so we keep virus under control in Northern Ireland.”

She also Tweeted: “Following PM statement, we’ve just finished a useful briefing with NI’s Health Minister, CMO & CSA. This is an evolving situation with the virus mutation. Essential that we all play our part by following the regulations.”

It is also understood that Health Minister Robin Swann has requested an urgent meeting of the NI Executive.

And it is speculated that an urgent Executive meeting could take place today or tomorrow morning.

According to PA a number of Government ministers have called for an emergency Executive meeting on Sunday over Covid-19 restrictions.

And formal joint request for the meeting has been submitted by Minister for Justice Naomi Long, Minister for Finance Conor Murphy and Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon.

PA add that it is understood that Minister for Health Robin Swann has also written to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister calling for an urgent meeting.

It remains unclear whether the DUP has agreed.

In a letter seen by PA news agency, the three ministers raised concerns about the more infectious coronavirus variant found in England.

“The speed and scale of the virus transmission spread and the fact that it is so fast-moving is a cause for alarm to us all,” they said.

“While our Executive met last Thursday and moved to take decisions ahead of others, it would be prudent for the full Executive to be briefed by the Minister of Heath and the chief medical officer and chief scientific officer at the earliest opportunity.

“We must satisfy ourselves that our regulations and restrictions over the Christmas period and those agreed over the coming six week period are sufficiently robust enough to safeguard public health in the context of these latest developments.”