Health Minister Robin Swann has tabled new proposals seeking a one-week extension of the restrictionsin a bid to break the political deadlock, it is understood.
His original proposal calling for a two-week extension was blocked by the DUP on Tuesday.
It is understood ministers are now considering Mr Swann’s latest paper.
Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance had previously said they would support a two-week extension of all restrictions.
The current laws are due to expire at midnight on Thursday.
The regulations saw much of Northern Ireland’s economy placed under tight measures from 16 October.
The DUP had earlier accused Sinn Féin of “performing a somersault” and changing its position on the extension of Covid-19 restrictions.
DUP minister Peter Weir made the claim ahead of the executive meeting for a third day, in a bid to reach agreement.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the “executive’s approach must be guided by public health advice because the priority must be to save lives”.
On Tuesday evening, the DUP blocked a proposal from the health minister to keep restrictions in place for two more weeks.
Ministers then debated a partial reopening of some sectors, but no agreement was reached despite talks lasting into the early hours of Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Mr Weir, the DUP’s education minister, claimed Sinn Féin had changed its stance over relaxing restrictions and claimed inter-party agreement could have been reached “earlier”.
He said that he hoped the executive could come to a decision on Wednesday.
“I think people want certainty and I hope there can be a sensible compromise that can be reached,” he added.
“It’s important to stress that poverty can kill as well as Covid-19.”
On Sunday, the party’s vice-president Ms O’Neill had suggested a partial and graduated reopening of some sectors was being considered by ministers.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride warned ministers any relaxation of restrictions would cause more deaths.
With some parties concerned by that, no further progress was made on the new plans.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ms O’Neill said: “Last night, Sinn Féin, the UUP, the SDLP and the Alliance Party voted in favour of the health minister’s proposals to extend restrictions.
“The DUP blocked those proposals.
“We will return to the Executive today and my approach will continue to be guided by the medical advice and the executive’s joint policy objective to save lives, prevent our health service and workers being overwhelmed and provide financial support for businesses, workers and their families.
Earlier, First Minister Arlene Foster told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme that any decision on the restrictions must be balanced and protect both hospitals and livelihoods.
Northern Ireland was facing a “mental health tsunami” if the economy was not considered, as well as health advice, she said.
“There will be excess deaths if we continue with the restrictions or if we take no decisions at all, so let’s have the whole picture out in the open,” the DUP leader told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme.
“If people do not have a job, they go into poverty.
“Poverty has its own health outcomes… we are facing a mental health tsunami in relation to the pressure that we are putting on families as they come up to Christmas.”
It is thought the executive meeting could run long into Wednesday evening again.
The £400m figure presented by Mrs Dodds comes from a study by Stormont’s Department for the Economy which looks at lost output.
It includes direct and indirect losses along with the costs of a potential delay to economic recovery, and comes with a significant margin of error.
It looks at businesses forced to temporarily close in sectors such as hospitality and hairdressing.
Using official GDP data, the direct economic impact is estimated to be a loss of £120m of output, primarily in the hospitality sector
The indirect impact on the supply chains of the most affected businesses is estimated to be lost output of £80m
The additional losses of £200m are accounted for by a delay to activity returning to relative normality after the 4-week break
The paper suggests:
Close-contact services such as hair and beauty salons should reopen on Friday, by appointment
Unlicensed premises such as cafes and coffee shops should reopen on Friday, with licensed premises remaining closed until 27 November
The department has also produced a second estimate using an economic model built by the Fraser of Allander Institute, which estimates the lost output to be around £430m.
It is understood that a “safely open group” could be established if ministers agree the plans, that would cover hospitality.
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