Covid-19 restrictions could be eased next week, says Paul Givan

It may be possible for the Stormont Executive to consider lifting some Covid-19 restrictions next week, First Minister Paul Givan has said.

Speaking after Thursday's executive meeting, he said ministers had received an "optimistic" update on transmission rates and hospital figures.

He also said the executive now had "more headroom" to explore reduced measures.

The first minister also said he wanted to see a reduced self-isolation period.

But Sinn Féin Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey warned that "any easements at this point" could potentially lead to a sharp spike in cases again.

"That's something we don't want to do - the pandemic is still very much here", she said.

"We want to see the peak driven down... but we are keeping all these measures under constant review."

Nightclubs are currently closed while hospitality businesses are operating under a series of restrictions.

The measures took effect just after Christmas, with businesses saying they were struggling to cope amid staff shortages at the same time due to the Omicron variant.

Mr Givan said businesses needed to be able to operate "normally".

"I would hope to see us moving quickly in terms of what restrictions could be lifted...which took effect just after Christmas Day.

"Measures that were brought in around the rule of six and table service only - these are all things that need to be relaxed."

He added that it would depend on health advice received by the executive ahead of its meeting next week, but stressed that so far the picture was "encouraging".

The first minister also said he wanted Northern Ireland to follow England in reducing the self-isolation period for confirmed cases of Covid-19 from seven to five.

Mr Givan said it remained a matter for Stormont's Department of Health to decide but added: "If there is movement from seven days to five, I think Northern Ireland should also be moving in that direction as well."

Mr Givan's comments came as 14 more Covid-related deaths and 2,980 new cases were reported by the Department of Health.

Health Minister Robin Swann expressed his "deep sadness" at the news, adding that his thoughts were with the friends and families of those who had died.

He said the virus still represented a very serious threat which could "cause devastation to families and communities" and urged the public to get vaccinated.

At the meeting, ministers were told that hospital pressures are expected to peak within the next week to 10 days.

Much of the pressure now is not coming from new cases of Covid-19, but rather from the numbers of staff who are off absent because of Covid-19.

The figure put before ministers today was 8%.

Ministers were also told that the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland was down to changes in the testing regime.

People no longer need to take a PCR test to confirm a positive lateral flow test.

Before the meeting, Northern Ireland's chief scientific adviser, Professor Ian Young, said it would take some weeks for a completely accurate picture of Covid-19 testing to emerge.

He also said he is "hopeful" a corner has been turned with Omicron case numbers and that, in the current wave, he was more concerned about hospital pressures.

Latest figures from the Health and Social Care Board show that of 4,310 elective procedures scheduled from 31 December to 6 January, 170 were cancelled - 4% of the total.

Of those, 58 were red flag suspected or confirmed cancer procedures.

Trusts say they are "actively working to offer new dates as soon as possible".

Prof Young said he hoped to see falling hospital numbers in the "near future".

On Wednesday, the Department of Health confirmed the health minister had requested military assistance from the Ministry of Defence.