To ask the Minister of Health (i) for his assessment of the statement from the Chief Medical Officer that lockdown restrictions could last into next year; (ii) what engagement he has had with the Chief Medical Officer on whether these restrictions will be (a) a full lockdown; or (b) more minimal restrictions; and (iii) for his assessment of the statement’s potential impact on vaccine take-up and lockdown rules-compliance.

The Executive's response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be led by the latest medical and scientific advice. We use a broad range of data, information and statistical indicators to inform decisions on the relaxation of restrictions, or whether we need to return to strengthening them.

Since the current regulations were put in place on 26 December, we have been encouraged that the majority of people have been doing their utmost to utmost to them help to limit the spread of COVID-19.

This can be seen in our vaccination programme in Northern Ireland where the uptake has been very positive and more than 1.8m vaccine doses have been administered so far.

In December 2020, the Executive established an Executive COVID Taskforce, to be chaired by the interim Head of the Civil Service, to support a coherent and comprehensive response to the pandemic going forward. The Taskforce includes a number of work streams relating to adherence and compliance, protecting the public, strategic communications and recovery.

On 2 March this year, the Executive published its planned pathway out of the current COVID-19 restrictions. The Pathway is supported by a revised process for a 4-week Executive review cycle. The new process also permits a more urgent consideration of proposals from Departments deemed to have urgent or compelling reasons to fall outside the four week review process.

In this new process, the management of the changes to the restrictions regulations moved to the COVID Strategy Group in the Executive Office (TEO).

TEO now holds the lead responsibility and operational management of the process leading to Executive decisions on the ongoing need for restrictions and the requirement to amend the regulations. This responsibility includes receiving and managing all proposals from Executive departments, management of the decision making process and facilitating consultation with departments on the drafting of amendment regulations.

This work is supported by a Cross-Departmental Working Group, chaired by the Director of the TEO COVID-19 Taskforce team with membership from all 9 Departments and key stakeholders, including local government and PSNI.