COVID 19: What now for NI Executive?
Stormont's Executive is expected to meet later today (Thursday) with another raft of potential big decisions to consider.
Northern Ireland's current four-week circuit-breaker lockdown ends next Friday.
However, the Executive is expected to debate whether or not the period should be extended for the hospitality sector.
Schools opened again this week.
But in an exclusive interview with Downtown Radio & Cool FM, Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, said it was not possible for the R number to come down with both the schools and hospitality open at the same time.
Previously, First Minister Arlene Foster has said that the health of the economy has to be considered when making an overall decision.
However, no-one has completely ruled out further lockdown arrangements.
The hospitality sector has responded with fury to any suggestion they may have to stay longer in lockdown - warning of business closures and job losses.
Back in May the Executive published a document - ' Coronavirus: Executive Approach to Decision-making.
In this, it was stated: "The approach we are taking is only to implement relaxations which give a reasonable prospect of R remaining below 1."
If indeed the Executive is still being 'guided by the science' - a phrase used frequently by the decision-makers - then logically, given the CMO's remarks, Northern Ireland's hospitality sector may well have a lockdown extension imposed.