Scientific evidence left DUP with no choice but to back new lockdown says Arlene Foster

Mrs. Foster was attending an event in her constituency in Fermanagh on Friday when she made the remarks.

“I think there’s a number of reasons why we had to take the action which we did last night,” she said.

“The Health Minister brought forward to us that, first of all, the R number was not in the place where we had hoped it would be.”

She added: “Our advisors had said by this stage it should be between 0.8 and 0.9 and unfortunately it’s at 1 at present.

“Of course that causes us concern in terms of the transmission of the virus.”

Last week First Minister Foster and the DUP were criticised for using a cross-community vote to block a two week extension to the ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown.

Every other party backed the extension, which had been brought before the Executive by Health Minister, Robin Swann.

The Executive eventually forced a new deal through in time before the restrictions were due to expire on Friday November 13.

The restrictions allowed close contact businesses like hairdressers to reopen on Friday November 20 and licenced premises would be allowed to sell alcohol in a very limited and specific way come November 27.

However, the terrain has completely changed in light of what was agreed on Thursday evening.

The new restrictions which take effect on November 27 will keep the hospitality sector completely locked down and any close contact businesses reopening today will have to close again next Friday.

The Executive has been criticised by business men and women all over Northern Ireland.

One Belfast eatery went as far as to ban every MLA in the Northern Ireland Executive from dining at their restaurant.

“The numbers are staying pretty static in relation to positive cases at present but when we look at our hospital numbers they are at their highest they have been, even when we look back to the first peak back in March/April time, the numbers in our hospitals reached I think around 350, now they’re at 450,” continued Arlene Foster.

“Our health service staff are very tired, we understand that.

“So there was a need to put in these interventions.

“Certainly none of us wanted to do this. We realise the impact it will have, but it was necessary unfortunately to protect our health service for everybody else.”

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