As it happened: Foster and O'Neill give coronavirus update - BBC News
Northern Ireland’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended until 5 March.
Education Minister Peter Weir says that from an educational point of view, he wants "to keep the extent to which they [children] are out of school to a minimum".

But Mr Weir said that decisions about schools during the Covid-19 pandemic must "be weighed up against the wider public health advice".

Speaking on the BBC's Evening Extra programme after it was announced that current restrictions will be extended, Mr Weir said that "nobody wants to see restrictions last longer than they have to".

He said the decision to extend lockdown was taken "very reluctantly but there is a broad consensus in the executive that these are necessary measures that have to be taken to ensure we remain on top of the virus".

Mr Weir added that schools have operated on a slightly different timetable to the rest of the restrictions, and that next week's discussions will consider keeping them closed until 5 March, in line with decisions taken by ministers today.