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Stormont Prime Minister Arlene Foster said ministers had had a “thorough discussion” on what to do when current restrictions on hospitality in Northern Ireland expire on November 13.
Doctors have recommended its extension.
She said: “These discussions will continue and we will intensify our engagement with representatives of the hotel industry as we seek a safe and sustainable way forward.”
Ms. Foster said the Stormont Executive considered a “variety of medical and scientific evidence” at a meeting today.
Northern Ireland today reported eight more Covid-19-related deaths and 516 new cases of the virus today.
The death toll now stands at 752, with 41,374 confirmed cases, including 4,256 in the past seven days.
There are currently 409 coronavirus patients in hospital treatment, with 49 in intensive care.
Stormont ministers have had a “thorough discussion” on what to do when current Covid-19 restrictions on hospitality expire on November 13, Prime Minister Arlene Foster said | Latest Coronavirus Stories: https://t.co/yxilOV4t6X pic.twitter.com/YGUYRAJK0k
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 5, 2020
He said there has been “significant progress” after three weeks of additional restrictions with a drop in the number of cases, and the virus’s reproduction rate in the community has dropped to around 0.7.
“The senior scientific advisor has indicated that for our local government districts, most council areas have already achieved rates of 0.7 or less,” he said.
“However, the number of patients requiring treatment in our intensive care units remains high and the proportion of older people contracting Covid has been increasing, so much more needs to be done to ease the pressure on our service. health and save lives.
“We have a week to comply with our current restrictions and we are asking people to redouble their efforts.”
Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill expressed concern that 409 people are currently in hospitals in Northern Ireland with Covid-19, more than at any time during the first wave of the virus.
Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill has said that there are more people in Northern Ireland hospitals with Covid-19 than at any point in the first wave.
He said the situation “is simply not sustainable” | Latest Coronavirus Stories: https://t.co/yxilOV4t6X pic.twitter.com/joqVc3Wzb5
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 5, 2020
Coming at the same time as “significant levels of staff absences across the system,” he described the situation as “simply not sustainable.”
PSNI has not started testing Covid aid payments
Police have not launched an investigation into issues related to erroneous payments to ineligible businesses through Stormont’s emergency Covid scheme.
Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Catherine Kelly, former MP Elisha McCallion and two officials resigned due to a delay in the repayment of unsolicited grants of £ 10,000 that were improperly paid into three-party accounts.
The MP and MLA constituency offices were not eligible for the Small Business Support Grant Program announced by Economy Minister Diane Dodds (DUP) earlier this year.
But the payments were automatically sent to any business that received small business fee relief.
Grants paid into three Sinn Féin accounts were not repaid until last week.
Party chairman Mary Lou McDonald said that “the failure to immediately repay the grants wrongly paid into Sinn Féin’s accounts is an extremely serious situation.”
DUP MLA Gary Middleton asked police to investigate whether “a potential crime” could have been committed.
PSNI Police Chief Simon Byrne told the Northern Ireland Police Board today that an investigation has not yet begun.
“We are awaiting a determination from the Department of the Economy, which is effectively the complainant, on whether they see that the standard has been met that there has been criminal behavior as opposed to any other form of problem.”
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