Northern Ireland's power-sharing Executive may consider retaining its current level of Covid-19 restrictions until 1 April, with a review of the measures on 18 March.
Stormont ministers are meeting today to discuss the issues around the next phase of restrictions. Education minister Peter Weir may be tasked to come up with a plan for the gradual reopening of schools, and he has said he expects a definitive decision around the reopening of schools soon.
Details of the Executive's decisions will be given at a news conference in Dungannon later this afternoon. Since Christmas people have only been able to leave home for essential purposes such as work or exercise, and many school children have been confined to remote learning.