Potential shutdown of hospitality over Christmas if Covid cases rise, says Swann

Some hospitality venues may be asked to close their doors over Christmas if Covid-19 cases continue to increase, the Health Minister has told MLAs.

Robin Swann made the comments during a debate on Covid regulations, but stressed that closures were not inevitable.

It comes as a meeting of Stormont ministers to discuss a range of measures to help limit the spread of Covid broke up without agreement.

Mr Swann told the Assembly: "If the current trajectory continues with regard to the increased cases we are seeing, we may once again face the possibility where venues are asked to close their doors during the Christmas season.

"But let me be clear, it is not inevitable and I do not want to have to reintroduce further restrictions unless completely unavoidable."

An Executive meeting to discuss Department of Health proposals to curb Covid infections will reconvene on Tuesday morning.

An Executive spokesperson said: "The Executive met this morning to consider a paper from the Health Minister.

"While the meeting was constructive and progress was made, it was agreed that more work was required and the Executive is due to meet again tomorrow morning to continue its discussions."

The suggested measures from Mr Swann include tougher working-from-home advice and a new scoring system on Covid compliance for businesses.

The "scores on the doors" scheme, similar to those in place for food safety standards, would see the development of a "Covid score" for businesses based on an assessment of the measures they have in place and their compliance with public health regulations.

Mr Swann has also warned that compliance with mask-wearing and the use of face coverings is insufficient in Northern Ireland, and that enforcement needs to be strengthened and action taken against those who are non-compliant.

In his paper to Executive ministers, Mr Swann said: "I look to my colleague the Justice Minister to take the lead in pursuing a minimum of 80% adherence to the wearing of face-covering requirements."

But in a letter to Mr Swann, seen by the PA news agency, Justice Minister Naomi Long said enforcement was the responsibility of a "number of statutory organisations".

Executive ministers are also discussing the new working-from-home advice which has been proposed by Mr Swann.

Last week he advised anyone who worked from home when the pandemic began to do so again now.

But a letter from DUP Economy Minister Gordon Lyons to the Health Minister has raised concerns over the messaging.

The letter, seen by the PA news agency, said: "I need to raise significant concerns with the proposed messaging around working from home - namely that if a person worked from home when Covid-19 first arrived in spring 2020, then they should be working from home now.

"This is an overly simplistic approach which would deliver a message that actually miscommunicates Executive policy to the public, would cause public confusion and create industrial relations tensions for a whole host of public services."

Meanwhile, there have been a further three deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

Another 1,469 positive cases of the virus were also notified by the Department of Health.

On Monday morning there were 378 Covid-positive patients in hospital, with 36 in intensive care.