'It's about getting balance right' First Minister says she doesn't agree with BMA views on lockdown
Arlene Foster is standing by the new package of covid restrictions coming into force from tonight (Friday) and said she "respectively disagreed" with doctors' leaders who wanted a stricter clampdown.
The First Minister said they had to take into account the balance between health and economic outcomes.
Dr Tom Black, chair of the BMA's NI council said the measures drawn up were "too little too late" and did not go far enough.
She defended the package of measures as the powersharing administration announced the expansion of a financial support scheme to cover businesses that will be forced to close as a result of the four-week "circuit break''.
Dr Black said spiralling case numbers in the region justified a full lockdown'' - a move he said should have been triggered much sooner.
He said it was the first time the BMA's membership in the region had failed to endorse a Stormont response to the pandemic.
It follows Downtown Radio & Cool FM's question on Wednesday's media briefing with the Health Minister, Robin Swann; Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Young.
We asked what the thinking was behind the measures given the response from doctors and indeed those who felt they had gone too far.
Under measures that come into effect at 6pm, pubs and restaurants will close for four weeks, with the exception of takeaways and deliveries, and schools are to shut for two weeks, one of which is the mid-term Halloween break.
Mrs Foster said the executive had to consider many factors when deciding on the restrictions, not just the health implications.
In response to Dr Black's comments she said "I respectfully disagree with him."
"I say that because not only do I have to look at the health outcomes in these issues, but of course the economic outcomes, the societal outcomes, the education of our young people... and therefore I think that what we came forward with was an action plan which has been blended to try and deal with all of those issues, not for one minute taking away from the huge challenge that lies in front of us all in relation to Covid-19," she said.