First minister Arlene Foster confirms schools will close at some point – but not immediately

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Northern Ireland schools will be closed for at least 16 weeks, but they will not be shutting immediately, the region’s first minister, Arlene Foster, has said after a meeting with Ireland’s caretaker taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

The disclosure gives a glimpse of the scale of coronavirus crisis to come and will lead to questions about whether a four-month schools closure is being planned for the rest of the UK.

Foster confirmed that schools in Northern Ireland would close at some point in an effort to stem the spread of the virus, but said it was a matter of timing.

“I am taking my advice from the Northern Ireland chief medical officer. He is advising schools should not close yet” but schools and parents should prepare for closure, she said. “I think they will be closed for at least 16 weeks.”

Foster was under pressure to close schools in line with the republic of Ireland’s decision last week but said she was taking the continued advice of the Northern Ireland chief medical officer, Michael McBride.

A four-month closure will impose a huge burden on the economy with parents forced to find a way to work at home and schools suddenly trying to launch a whole term of remote learning. It will also raise questions about the viability of exams in May and June.

Foster was speaking after a meeting with Varadkar to discuss a cross-border approach to combating coronavirus. Also at the meeting were their deputies, Michelle O’Neill and Simon Coveney, and the two executives’ health ministers and chief medical officers.

At a press conference, she said the cooperation between the two sides “could not be any better”.

Q&A How can I protect myself and others from the coronavirus outbreak? Show Hide The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine. The UN agency advises people to: Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

Advice about face masks varies. Wearing them while out and about may offer some protection against both spreading and catching the virus via coughs and sneezes, but it is not a cast-iron guarantee of protection Many countries are now enforcing or recommending curfews or lockdowns. Check with your local authorities for up-to-date information about the situation in your area. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

Varakdar said Covid-19 was an illness that knows no borders, as administrations on either side of the border follow different strategies.

“There is very good cooperation already between the chief medical officers and the government and the executive. There will be differences of approach over the next few weeks and months; we are different jurisdictions … but the differences that exist are mostly around timing,” he said.

“But what isn’t different is our common objective, which is to slow down the virus in its tracks, push it back.”

The two leaders discussed school closures, travel and supply chains at the meeting, which was convened under the north-south ministerial council framework mandated by the Belfast/Good Friday agreement.

Both Simon Harris, the Irish health minister, and his counterpart in the Northern Ireland executive, Robin Swann, said it would be wrong for the public to think that governments could make big or bold decisions to protect the public against coronavirus.

The most effective measure was for the public to be compliant and change their behaviour, said Swann.

Coveney said he had issued advice to Irish nationals on Friday night to be cautious about travelling to the rest of the EU, but that this did not include the UK.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the Irish governments said: “It was agreed that everything possible will be done in coordination and cooperation between the Irish government and the Northern Ireland executive and with the active involvement of the health administrations in both jurisdictions to tackle the outbreak. Protection of the lives and welfare of everyone on the island is paramount, and no effort will be spared in that regard.”

Nine new coronavirus cases were recorded in Northern Ireland on Friday, bringing the total to 29. Three were community transmissions, the first recorded.

Twenty new cases were reported in the republic, the second highest daily jump, bringing the total to 90.