- Huw Hughes
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Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster has announced that the
country’s lockdown will be extended until 5 March in an effort to drive
down Covid cases.
Non-essential stores have been closed since the end of trading on
Christmas Eve as part of what was then planned to be a six-week
lockdown.
But that has now been extended to March due to a spike in coronavirus
cases in the country.
There will be a review of the extension on 18 February.
“Following a detailed outline from health, highlighting continuing
pressures on hospitals and intensive care units and the emergence of
highly-transmissible variants the executive has agreed that the
restrictions will be extended for four weeks,” Foster said at a press
conference.
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