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NI Executive holds emergency meeting amid fears over Covid-19 strain
PA
The Northern Ireland Executive is holding an emergency meeting on Sunday night.
It comes after four of the five power-sharing parties called for a meeting of the Executive to discuss the new strain of Covid-19 found in England.
Government ministers from Sinn Fein, the Alliance Party and the SDLP issued a joint request for an Executive meeting to be held on Sunday.
In a tweet, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill confirmed the Executive’s virtual meeting would begin at 9pm.
The Executive will meet at 9pm tonight
In a letter seen by the PA news agency, Minister for Justice Naomi Long, Minister for Finance Conor Murphy and Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon raised concerns about the more infectious coronavirus variant found in England.
Emergency meeting of NI Executive to be held on Sunday night
PA
The Northern Ireland Executive is to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday night.
It comes after four of the five power-sharing parties called for a meeting of the Executive to discuss the new strain of Covid-19 found in England.
Government ministers from Sinn Fein, the Alliance Party and the SDLP issued a joint request for an Executive meeting to be held on Sunday.
In a tweet, Deputy First Minister Michelle O Neill said the Executive would meet at 9pm.
The Executive will meet at 9pm tonight
In a letter seen by the PA news agency, Minister for Justice Naomi Long, Minister for Finance Conor Murphy and Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon raised concerns about the more infectious coronavirus variant found in England.
284 of Sunday s cases are in Dublin, while 70 are in Limerick, 52 are in Donegal, 44 are in Cork, and the rest spread across other counties.
Tony Holohan issued a stark warning on Sunday evening, saying: If you have been socialising in the past few weeks or over this weekend, consider your Christmas plans carefully. Is it responsible to meet with your family over 65 later this week, if you have not kept your contacts low? Should you cancel your plans? We have the very real prospect of Covid-19 vaccines on the horizon. Ensure that your loved ones stay alive to receive them, by keeping your distance from them if you have not restricted your movements to this point.
Christmas bubbles should be as small as possible, and people in Northern Ireland should consider forming them for December 25 only amid an “aggressive new strain” of Covid-19.
First Minister Arlene Foster, deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Health Minister Robin Swann met with chief medical officer Michael McBride and chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young on Saturday as rules were tightened in other parts of the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson effectively cancelled Christmas for millions of people across London and south-east England after scientists said a new coronavirus variant is spreading more rapidly.
Ms O’Neill said: “Christmas bubbling arrangements are in place for those who feel they need to come together.