DUP opposed extent of Northern Ireland’s new Covid-19 restrictions says Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots

Oct 16, 2020

Dear reader

Divisions in the Stormont Executive around some of the coronavirus restrictions announced earlier this week were laid bare on Friday.

DUP minister Edwin Poots said his party opposed several of the new restrictions but added that the DUP were essentially outnumbered by other parties when it came to imposing measures that will see the hospitality sector closed for four weeks and schools for two.

In a dramatic intervention on BBC’s Talkback, Mr Poots claimed some of his colleagues at the executive “don’t seem to care” that people would lose their jobs as a result of what he portrayed as excessive steps.

Mr Poots has since attracted criticism from the other political parties who sit on the Executive, with Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood both slamming his comments.

The row broke out as Northern Ireland recorded yet another day of record Covid-19 infections, with another 1,299 people recording positive tests in the last 24 hours.

It all represents another sobering day of news as the strict new coronavirus restrictions begin to take effect, with schools to close for a fortnight.

Stay safe and I hope you can enjoy your weekend

Alistair Bushe
Editor

Want total access to all of our online content? You can subscribe to our website, newsletter.co.uk for just £1 a month for 3 months - and it couldn't be easier.

Signing up will get you faster-loading articles, fewer adverts and access to exclusive content and events when we run them. To learn more, visit our Subscriptions page here.


	DUP opposed extent of Northern Ireland’s new Covid-19 restrictions says Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots

	A DUP minister in the Stormont executive has criticised Northern Ireland’s latest coronavirus restrictions and claimed his party opposed several of them.

‘Ticking time bomb’ as beds run low at NI hospital, warns MLA

The situation at Craigavon Area Hospital has been described as a “ticking time bomb with a very short fuse” due to the staffing pressures caused by the influx of coronavirus patients.

NI Covid-19 death-toll up to 915 after NISRA identify seven additional deaths

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) has confirmed seven additional Covid-19 related deaths occurred in the last week from October 3 to 9.

Arlene Foster ‘respectfully disagrees’ with doctors’ criticism of new Coronavirus NI restrictions

Stormont’s First Minister has said she respectfully disagrees with a leading medical body’s assessment that new restrictions for Northern Ireland are “too little, too late”.

Highest ever number of infections and two additional deaths recorded in last 24 hours - 80 staff at NI health centre self-isolating after six other staff members test positive for Covid-19

Northern Ireland has recorded its highest ever number of Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours.

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson says Michael McBride should focus on solutions, rather than the ‘blunt instrument’ of closing schools

DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has urged Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer to “focus on solutions” rather than the “blunt instrument” of school closures.

Treatment for life-threatening illnesses cannot be compromised in NI during pandemic

It has become an increasing trend for some in authority to blame the public almost entirely for the second wave of Covid-19 that is hitting Northern Ireland.



	View more on Coronavirus