Michelle O’Neill returns to Stormont after Covid battle and urges caution on lifting restrictions

DUP Economy Minister Gordon Lyons had expressed hope that all remaining coronavirus restrictions could be lifted by October 22.

Health Minister Robin Swann also took a different position to the DUP, warning against being calendar-led with future moves to lift coronavirus restrictions.

Ms O’Neill, who returned to Stormont on Monday following her own battle with Covid-19 said Thursday’s meeting of the Executive was an “important” one and would look at pandemic planning for the winter.

The Sinn Fein vice president said she would advocate a cautious approach to easing further restrictions: “I think the Executive on Thursday will have to look at where we are now, have to look about planning for the winter and what’s going to be a very uncertain period, I think, over the winter months.

“We have to take decisions, I believe we need to be cautious, we need to make progress, of course, but we need to move very cautiously as we go through the next number of months if we’re going to protect not only ourselves, our loved ones.

“It’s not just in terms of the Covid crisis and the pressure in our hospitals, it’s the knock-on impact that it has across our health service for those patients requiring treatment for many other conditions. That is all a very challenging picture.”

She added: “I think it’s very unhelpful for DUP ministers to take solo runs in terms of setting out dates that have not been discussed at the Executive.”

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