Stormont examining measures to support those in quarantine

Travellers on their way to Turkey arriving at Belfast International Airport for their flight on Monday. Holidaymakers returning from Spain to Northern Ireland will have to quarantine for 14 days over a spike in Covid cases.

Health minister Robin Swann said the subject was the only item on the agenda at a remote meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive on Monday.

He said the Department for the Economy was engaging with employers to make sure there was flexible support for those in quarantine.

Officials were also talking with travel insurers, he said.

Mr Swann added that the Department of Finance was exploring whether the furlough scheme could be used.

He appeared before the Assembly following the Executive meeting to answer an urgent oral question on his decision to introduce a 14-day quarantine for those returning from Spain

Some people returning from Spain on Monday criticised the move and expressed concern about the potential impact on their employment.

Mr Swann told MLAs that his decision was supported by the Executive and had been based on detailed scientific information.

“The evidence was considered so strong that delay was not feasible, the risk to the Northern Ireland population was too great to delay another day,” he said.

“I will continue to make decisions based on scientific information to determine which countries may be removed or added to the exemption list, and will move quickly to remove any country when the evidence supports this.

“The health and safety of the people of Northern Ireland is my main priority.”

Travellers continued to fly to and return from Spain via Belfast International Airport on Monday.

EasyJet operates the flights which currently travel between Northern Ireland and Spain.

A spokesperson said it was too early to say whether passenger numbers had been affected by the quarantine announcement, but added the airline would continue to operate its full schedule in the coming days while monitoring the situation closely.

On Monday, the Department of Health announced that 21 more positive cases of coronavirus had been detected in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 5,912.

No new deaths were recorded, leaving the total in the region according to the department at 556.

Meanwhile, it was announced the Covid-19 Infection Survey is being extended to Northern Ireland.

It has been running in England and Wales, where 195,000 swab tests have been carried out with the aim of building up a detailed picture of coronavirus infection rates.

Initially, 500 households in Northern Ireland are being contacted to take part in this new phase, with a further 500 households added each week as the survey is developed.