To improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. You can find a detailed description of how we use your data in our Privacy Policy. For a detailed description of the technologies, please see the Cookie and Automatic Logging Policy.
By clicking on the Accept & Close button, you provide your explicit consent to the processing of your data to achieve the above goal.
You can withdraw your consent using the method specified in the Privacy Policy.
Accept & Close
Sputnik International
Political Coverage Editor
The prospect of New Year s celebrations taking place while the hospitality industry is open - or as open as it can be during a global pandemic - has filled the health authorities with dread.
The three-party Government is watching Covid-19 figures rise rapidly in Northern Ireland as the health system overflows.
In Dublin, Ministers know the Republic will not be far behind unless things don t change quickly.
Already the rate of infection in the border counties is becoming a serious concern.
The draconian steps which the Assembly in Stormont has taken are the first time a full curfew has been introduced on the island to fight the spread of the disease.