Speaking on Saturday in Co Armagh after a special North-South meeting of political leaders on Covid-19, Mrs Foster said: “Schools will not be closed immediately but schools and parents should prepare because when they do they will close for at least 16 weeks.”

When asked about the different approaches being taken on the island, she said: “In terms of the co-operation I don’t think the co-operation could be any better between our chief medical officers, between our ministers of health and between the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister said: “We will take that action when it is the right time to do it. There are two different jurisdictions on this island.”

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Arlen Foster was disappointed by Michelle O'Neill's comments. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

However, Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said in her view, schools should shut as they have done in the Republic of Ireland.

She said: “People are taking decisions in advance of government and my own personal opinion is that schools should close now.”

Mrs Foster said schools in NI will eventually close but only when the timing is right.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned against complacency and said Covid-19 “cannot be stopped”.

He urged people living in both jurisdictions to follow Department of Health guidelines.

He said: “The only slight concern that I have at the moment is that there may be a degree of complacency slipping in that because of the actions that were taken in terms of closing schools or banning mass gatherings, that people think that everything is going to be OK.