Executive set to review NI's covid lockdown but measures unlikely to be eased any time soon
The Stormont Executive is meeting today (Thursday) with a review of of the current lockdown measures high up the agenda.
But given the current state of play with the ongoing spike in covid cases and an increasing number of patients in intensive care, it is expected Ministers will certainly not be in a position to ease measures any time soon.
Indeed, if anything, they could extend the lockdown beyond Feb 6.
Ministers will also discuss the unprecedented pressures in Northern Ireland's hospitals.
In a recent interview with Downtown Radio & Cool FM Professor Ian Young listed a number of conditions that would have to be met before lockdown could be eased.
These included a decrease in the pressures on hospitals.
With covid case numbers still to reach their peak, hospital staff are still very much under significant pressure with operations including those for cancer patients cancelled while they tackle the pandemic.