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Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann will recommend tightening restrictions on coronavirus when the Stormont Executive meets today.
Concrete actions are needed to curb the spread of Covid-19, he warned.
He said they had to act now to avoid further restrictions at a later date.
“The message is simple. Summer is over.
“Like other jurisdictions, we have decisions to make on how to stop a disturbing increase in Covid cases.
“I think concrete action is necessary now.”
The minister said decisions would be required on whether it would apply to Northern Ireland as a whole or to more localized areas with higher rates of infection.
In England, social gatherings will be limited to a maximum of six, with a few exceptions, starting Monday.
Stormont Medical Director Dr. Michael McBride said: “We are now at a crossroads, both individually and collectively.
“As a society, we have tough decisions to make.”
Northern Ireland’s case rate is 35 per 100,000 people.
That is higher than in other parts of the UK.
Senior Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young said there had been a 20-fold increase in the number of cases since the beginning of July compared to just a five-fold increase in the number of tests.
The daily average is now over 90.
Prime Minister Arlene Foster said the Executive may have to take interventions similar to those imposed in Glasgow, where households are prohibited from visiting others indoors.
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