The Stormont executive is to resist growing pressure to scrap the easing of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas amid warnings the move could overwhelm the NHS and contribute to the loss of "many lives".
British prime minister Boris Johnson told MPs this morning that the four UK nations have agreed to continue "in principle" with the easing of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas.
British Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove resumed crisis talks over the plans for up to three households to mix between December 23 and 27 with leaders of the devolved administrations this morning.
It is understood plans to allow families and friends to mix over Christmas will go ahead but there will be stronger warnings about the risks of spreading coronavirus.
Health minister Robin Swann is expected to put forward new proposals on tougher Covid measures at an Executive meeting tomorrow.
The planned relaxation of restrictions has been backed despite warnings from medical experts about the dangers.
Yesterday the north's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said:
"I think people need to be really, really careful. We need to be very careful going into the Christmas period."
He added: "Ministers have previously made a decision around Christmas bubbling, that was some time ago when the rates of transmission were as they were and it's right and proper that ministers keep all of those decisions under review."
Following a call yesterday involving leaders at Stormont and Mr Gove, a spokeswoman for First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said ministers here "will discuss the current situation with medical and scientific advisers.
"It is expected that an update will be brought to the Executive on Thursday."
Discussions took place as elderly nursing home patients were among those treated in a car park yesterday as Antrim Area Hospital struggled to cope with record high levels of Covid admissions.
The north's most senior doctor warned the two-week circuit breaker had failed to significantly impact on virus transmission rates - with Christmas restrictions kept "under review".
"We are not where we wish to be," Chief Medical Officer Dr McBride told a media briefing yesterday.
However, the CMO refused to divulge any detail on the advice he has provided to Stormont on whether tightened restrictions similar to those introduced in London - where restaurants and bars closed - could be extended to the north before Christmas.
A British government source said that the leaders would continue discussions on strengthening warnings, including advising people to stay local and reconsider whether they should spend Christmas with the elderly and clinically vulnerable.
Stormont's chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young said the R number was "at or a little bit above 1".
"That's certainly not where we hoped it would be," he said.
He said data of traffic flow show that many people did not heed the "stay at home" message over the most recent two-week circuit-break lockdown.
Professor Young said there was no evidence to date to show that the circuit-break had brought down case numbers.
Talks began yesterday after two leading medical journals warned that a lessening of restrictions would "cost many lives", and the British Medical Association (BMA) echoed Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in demanding an urgent rethink.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier argued there is a case for reducing the planned freedoms to combat a rise in infections and indicated she could break with the four-nation approach.
She told the Scottish Parliament: "I do think there is a case for us looking at whether we tighten the flexibilities that were given any further, both in terms of duration and numbers of people meeting."
In Wales, Mr Drakeford told the Senedd "the choice is a grim one" but said the current plans were a "hard-won agreement" that he would not put aside "lightly".
Mr Starmer had urged Boris Johnson to call an emergency meeting of the Government's top-level Cobra committee within 24 hours to assess the situation.
In a letter to Mr Johnson, the Labour leader accused ministers of having "lost control of infections" and warned that "the situation has clearly taken a turn for the worse since the decision about Christmas was taken".
"If you conclude with government scientists that we need to take tougher action to keep people safe over Christmas, then you will have my support," Mr Starmer said.
Earlier, the British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal published a rare joint editorial calling for the "rash" decision to relax social distancing measures over the festive period to be scrapped.
They said the Mr Johnson "is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives".
"The government was too slow to introduce restrictions in the spring and again in the autumn," the joint editorial said.
"It should now reverse its rash decision to allow household mixing and instead extend the tiers over the five-day Christmas period in order to bring numbers down in the advance of a likely third wave."
The BMA backed the warning, saying the combination of a third wave in the new year and the typical winter pressures are a "recipe for catastrophe".
Council chairman Chaand Nagpaul said: "As well as reviewing the rules for Christmas, the government must also look at what happens when the tinsel is tidied away.
"Now is the time to for everyone to continue to follow the rules and guidance until the vaccine can be rolled out to protect many more of us and allow us to mix freely once more."
The British prime minister's official spokesman said ministers "keep all advice under constant review" in response to suggestions that Christmas arrangements could be restricted to three days or two households.
Reducing the planned easing may further anger Tory backbenchers who oppose restrictions, but a poll suggested the majority of Britons believe the relaxation should be scrapped.
The YouGov survey of 3,856 adults yesterday indicated that 57% believe the plans should be dropped and that current rules should remain in place during the festive period.
Some 31% said the easing should go ahead as planned, while 12% said they were unsure.
