NO further Covid restrictions are currently necessary in the North of Ireland despite a surge in Omicron cases, First Minister Paul Givan has said.
Mr Givan said a plan to tighten controls around the wearing of face coverings has also been scrapped.
But Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill denied the plan had been completely axed.
“We haven’t decided it is not going to happen but we have found it very difficult to make it work,” she said.
She added that ministers will continue to explore ways to encourage more people to wear face coverings
The Stormont Executive was briefed by Health Minister Robin Swann and his officials on the spread of Omicron.
Ministers were told that cases of Covid-19 in the community in the North of Ireland have reached an all-time high and PCR testing reached capacity this week, leading to the changes in testing rules.
On Thursday, the Department of Health reported four more coronavirus-related deaths and 6,877 positive cases.
It brings the total number of Covid-19 deaths it has recorded in Northern Ireland to 3,002.
The Executive had planned to remove some exemptions on face coverings and place the onus on the individual to provide medical proof on why they cannot wear one.
But Mr Givan said ministers had agreed to suspend the planned policy “indefinitely” and that “no business should be asking anyone to provide proof”.
He added ministers had been advised previously that GPs would provide the “certification” needed for exemptions but they are now reluctant to do so because of the “huge pressures” they are currently under.
“I think it is right, having recognised the problems this policy was creating, we have acted very quickly in terms of suspending this policy and I would urge the public to stop contacting their GPs seeking these exemptions,” he said.
“Yes, businesses should be encouraging people to wear face coverings but they should not be asking for proof as that is a policy which this executive has suspended.”
Mr Givan also said schools would not be closed “in terms of a universal approach”.
However, Ms O’Neill criticised his DUP colleague, Education Minister Michelle McIlveen, for failing to bring forward more measures to support schools to stay open during the current crisis.
She said Ms McIlveen needs to do more to meeting the challenges facing schools with so many staff self-isolating.
The Assembly will be recalled early on Monday, with MLAs able to question the education minister on what action she is taking in schools.
It comes after a Sinn Féin petition backed by the SDLP and Alliance and approved by assembly Speaker Alex Maskey.
Some teaching unions have expressed concerns about staff absences from classrooms and securing substitute cover, due to the surge in Omicron cases.
On Tuesday, Ms McIlveen said keeping schools open remains a top priority.
Both the first and deputy first ministers acknowledged the pressures created by the Omicron surge.
Mr Givan said there while there has been “a slight rise in terms of general admissions from people with Covid” in hospitals, “we are seeing a stable situation within our critical care”.
“We are still facing pressures and we have a difficult period ahead of us over the next number of weeks.
“We are seeing increased pressures on our workforce so we are enhancing our civil contingency measures.”
Ms O’Neill tweeted that Covid-19 cases “are at an all-time high and transmission of Omicron is increasing”.
“We are keeping the situation under continuous review.
“Please don’t drop your guard. Get your booster, limit your contacts, take regular lateral flow tests and report the results.”
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