To ask the Minister of Health (i) what assessment has been made of how much (a) intra-Northern Ireland tourism; (b) UK/ROI-tourism; and (c) foreign tourism has contributed to the spread of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland; and (ii) how this might inform future policy on COVID regulations.

There has been no specific assessment of how tourism alone has contributed to the spread of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland.

The Executive, when making decisions on restrictions, takes into account the scientific and medical evidence and also the impacts of the restrictions on the economy and society. The Executive weighs up the totality of the effect each restriction can have in combination with other restrictions in reducing the rate of infections of COVID-19. It is not always possible to disaggregate the precise impact on the rate of transmission of the virus in the community for each of the individual restrictions on their own.

The Executive maintains an ongoing process of review of the coronavirus restrictions regulations, which considers both the current level of the pandemic and the impact the restrictions have on the economy and society, and it is the Executive’s clear intention not to retain restrictions for any longer than is absolutely necessary.