Northern Ireland to introduce a new two-week ‘circuit breaker’ starting November 27

The STORMONT EXECUTIVE will reportedly implement a new two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the north.

At a meeting of the Executive parties tonight it was agreed that the new restrictions would begin next Friday, the same day that the restrictions in various sectors were supposed to end.

Health Minister Robin Swann has warned that more interventions are needed before the end of this month to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

His ultimatum to Stormont’s colleagues stated that if they did not take action, a total shutdown in mid-December would not be enough to prevent hospital services from being overwhelmed.

The new restrictions are reported to shut down all non-essential retail, leisure and hospitality businesses and churches.

However, it is understood that schools will still be able to remain open under the restrictions.

Swann also asked his fellow ministers to consider local travel restrictions that can be legally enforced.

It comes as a five-week circuit-break lockdown in the north ends tonight, after a one-week extension to those restrictions was agreed to on Wednesday night.

Starting tomorrow, cafes, coffee shops, hairdressers and beauticians will be allowed to reopen, while pubs, hotels and restaurants were expected to reopen next Friday.

There were sharp divisions among the Stormont executive when the measures were extended last week, as ministers struggled to agree to continue the restrictions.

Both the DUP and Sinn Fein have recently disagreed about how quickly it will reopen the economy.

Last week, the DUP used a veto designed by the peace process to thwart plans by its power distribution partner, Sinn Fein, to order an extension of the Northern Ireland circuit breaker.

Earlier today, North Korea confirmed 12 more deaths from Covid-19 and 487 new cases of the virus.

With a Press Association report.