A senior DUP MP has questioned the need for a region-wide lockdown in Northern Ireland.
Jeffrey Donaldson's comments come amid reports that Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride, is advocating a six-week lockdown to halt spiralling infection rates.
Mr Donaldson says such a proposal was far more extensive than what was in place - or being considered elsewhere in the UK or in Republic of Ireland.
Meanwhile, the DUP leader is currently in a COBRA meeting with the Prime Minister, Health Minister and Deputy First Minister - to discuss the best way forward.
Speaking earlier, Arlene Foster said a lockdown in the North isn't inevitable:
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin say authorities in the North should be ready to send Covid-19 patients to the Republic if hospitals there run short of intensive care beds.
The party say the only way to fight the pandemic is with co-ordinated public health restrictions and much greater sharing of resources and information.
Yesterday the North recorded 1,066 new confirmed cases, with the Derry-Strabane district seeing the highest 14-day infection rate anywhere in the UK or on the island of Ireland.
