Fears further restrictions in North will devastate local economy and hit jobs
On Monday, it was announced that a further 877 people in the North of Ireland had tested positive in the previous 24 hour.
In Derry and Strabane, where fresh lockdown restrictions were imposed on Monday, October 5, there was another 199 more Coronavirus cases.
Stormont’s chief health advisors are understood to have recommended implementing a region-wide lockdown lasting between four to six weeks – with new measures to in place by Friday at the latest.
The entire Executive is not in agreement on the issue.
The DUP is against a second lockdown and Sinn Fein is in favour of tighter restrictions.
It comes amid spiraling Covid figures – with 6,161 new cases reported in the last seven days.
A further three deaths were also confirmed on Monday which took place in Derry.
Health Minister Robin Swann confirmed that a paper setting out advice from chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride and chief scientific advisor Professor Ian Young had been presented to the First and Deputy First Ministers on Sunday night, recommending “decisive action”.
One leading economist has warned that a six-week lockdown could shrink the North of Ireland’s economy by up to £2.2 billion.
Dr Esmond Birnie said such a move, on the same scale as the first lockdown, could cause the region’s GDP to be reduced by up to five per cent.
The chair of Stormont’s Health Committee, Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew, said his party would be guided by the science.
“People can have different perspectives, but we need to look and evidence in front of us and it is clear that this is a very serious situation,” he told the BBC.
“While people may have different views, when they go into the Executive what they have to do is take the right steps at the right time to ensure we protect our people, our community and our economy.”
First Minister Arlene Foster has said it is vital to listen to “all of the evidence” when it comes to imposing further restrictions.
“Of course we will listen to our medical advisers, we will of course then have to also do a risk analysis as to the damage to other sectors in society and especially economic damage,” she said.
“It is about taking a proportionate response, a balanced response so that we do have an economy when we get a vaccine to deal with this dreadful virus.”
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