Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said 350 health databases in Northern Ireland had made it more difficult to arrange an online retailing service for vulnerable people.

She said there was a single database in England, which made the process more simple.

She said the number of people who had received shielding letters had doubled from 40,000 to 80,000, which meant everyone may not be able to avail of supermarket online deliveries.

However, Ms Hargey added she hoped there would be a positive announcement in the coming days about online delivery for the vulnerable.

Edwin Poots is asked about the impact of the coronavirus impact on agriculture.

Mr Poots says the agri-food industry employs about 100,000 people.

He says if milk drops in price to a "loss-making scenario" and there is contraction with regard to the beef and lamb sectors "we are going to have a problem".

He stresses the importance of support.

"A 10% contraction in agriculture is 10,000 jobs - it's as simple as that," he adds.

"We need to ensure that we don't have that contraction."

Image source, Getty Images

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey accepted families and communities were having a difficult time due to "draconian" lockdown measures.

She said they continued to be necessary to save lives and would be reviewed on 4 May.

She said the executive would learn from countries that were a couple of weeks in advance.

She pointed out that the reproduction rate of infection had risen in Germany since it relaxed its measures.

"An increase in this virus means death," she said.

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots is asked about the prospect of easing restrictions and opening garden centres.

Mr Poots says garden centres are places in which one could potentially practice social distancing.

He says the alternative to not opening garden centres over the upcoming days or weeks is that the Northern Ireland Executive offers a "large compensation package" to the garden centres.

"The reality is that the materials they have to sell are not materials that can be sold in July, August or September - they have a shelf life."

He adds that there could be a potential cost to the executive "that we don't really need to pay".

There have been 57,000 applications for Universal Credit in Northern Ireland due to the pandemic, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has confirmed.

Speaking at the daily Stormont briefing, she said 850 new applications were made on 24 April.

She said £1.3m of emergency support payments had been made.

"There is a huge demand, people are struggling financially and they are moving towards the social security system," she said.

"We are responding well, people are getting paid on time."

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots starts his part of the Stormont press conference by reflecting on how "cruel" Covid-19 is.

But he emphasises the resilience of local people.

He says Covid-19 has robbed us of the "things that bring us joy".

He stresses the importance of still observing social distancing restrictions to slow down the spread of the virus.

He says it is "not business as usual".

"The battle is far from over," he adds.

"We will win this battle and better days lie ahead if we persevere a little longer."

Thirty four thousand food boxes have been delivered since April 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Minister for Communities

Speaking at the daily briefing at Stormont, Deirdre Hargey said work was also ongoing with retailers to ensure an improved online shopping system for vulnerable people.

She said she hoped she would have a positive announcement soon.

"Our role is to support people through this crisis, making sure people get the help and support they need," she said.

She said a number of data measures needed to be resolved to move ahead and her department would speak with the Information Commissioners Office about this.

"It is our responsibility to alleviate the stress people may be feeling as a result of pressures," she said.

A Dominican priest, who was formerly a junior doctor, is preparing to rejoin the medical profession to support the Covid-19 team at the Mater Hospital in Belfast.

Fr Chris Gault was a junior doctor at the Mater in 2014, before he joined the priesthood.

Those latest figures, and other issues, are likely to be discussed at the daily Stormont briefing for the press, which is due to begin shortly.

You can watch it live via the video at the top of this page.

The latest figures reveal that 819 patients are being treated in hospitals for confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19, with 3,346 people having been discharged, according to the data from the Department of Health.

Thirty Covid-19 patients are in intensive care units.

There have been outbreaks recorded in 69 care homes.

A further nine people in Northern Ireland have died with coronavirus.

That brings the total number of deaths to 338, although this figure, which relates mainly to hospital fatalities, is likely to rise.

The statistics, published by the Department of Health, show there were also 55 more cases of coronavirus diagnosed in NI, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 3,463.

Household recycling centres are to reopen across Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council from Monday, 4 May.

The council says residents will have to make appointments by phone to attend and it will only be for disposing of "excess waste that would normally go into your black bin only".

Image source, Getty Images

It adds: "Strict measures will be in place to ensure that social distancing rules are complied with."

They will be open Monday to Saturday from 08:30 to 15:30 BST.

Centres in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, external reopened last week.

Gardaí (Irish police) have expressed concern over dangerous driving during the coronavirus lockdown, saying pedestrian deaths have doubled so far this year and some motorists are travelling at "extreme" speeds on quiet roads.

So far this year 16 pedestrians have been killed in the Republic of Ireland, compared to eight pedestrian deaths in the same four-month period up to 29 April last year.

"Six pedestrians alone have died since the schools were closed in the middle of March," a garda statement said.

Image source, Getty Images

Gardaí added that some drivers have been detected doing "motorway speeds" in 50km/h (30mph) zones.

Chief Supt Paul Cleary also gave an example of a driver who was recently arrested after travelling at 202km/h (125mph) on the M1, describing the behaviour as "a danger to all road users".

When all categories of road deaths are taken into account, a total of 54 people have died on Irish roads so far in 2020 - that is seven more deaths than by this time last year.

"This means that there has not been a significant reduction in road deaths, which might have been expected given reduced traffic volumes," the statement added.

Image source, PA Media

Free visa extensions are to be automatically granted to more overseas health and care workers in the UK, Home Secretary Priti Patel has said, external.

Front-line workers, including midwives, radiographers, social workers and pharmacists, with visas due to expire before 1 October will receive an automatic one-year extension.

It will apply to those working both in the NHS and independent sector and their family members.

It comes after the home secretary announced a similar move for NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics last month, external.

Gardaí (Irish police) have tweeted about working closely with the PSNI to stop the spread of coronavirus, with a co-ordinated cross-border checkpoint in place at Moybridge in County Monaghan.

Image source, Getty Images

Routine vaccinations against preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough are "more important than ever" during the coronavirus pandemic, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has said.

It has appealed to pregnant women, parents of pre-school children and all patients who have been invited for vaccinations to keep their appointments in order to prevent new outbreaks of non-Covid but potentially deadly infections.

“In Northern Ireland, our immunisation programmes have been highly successful in reducing serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases, such as pneumococcal and meningococcal infections, whooping cough, diphtheria and measles," said Dr Jillian Johnston, PHA consultant in health protection.

"During the Covid-19 pandemic it is really important that we continue to maintain the best possible uptake to prevent a resurgence of these infections," she said, adding this would reduce pressure on the NHS from patients with vaccine-preventable diseases.

Image source, Getty Images

Dr Johnston reassured anyone concerned about getting vaccines during the pandemic that "robust infection control procedures are in place in healthcare settings".

She also explained why patients should not attempt to delay vaccine appointments.

"The timing of each immunisation programme is based on robust scientific advice that takes into account the epidemiology of the particular infectious disease and how to maximise benefits, by helping to protect people at a time or stage of their life when they are at greatest risk from that infection," she said.

With most schools closed due to the pandemic, school-based vaccination programmes have stopped for this academic school year, but Dr Johnson said they will "restart as soon as possible and work is currently under way to look at these arrangements".

NI’s economy minister has paid tribute to how further education colleges here have adapted during the coronavirus outbreak.

Diane Dodds says she is "immensely proud of the way in which the further education sector has stepped up to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 emergency".

Image source, Getty Images

She says the speed at which the six further education colleges moved to remote learning displays “commitment, leadership, agility, innovation and resourcefulness”.

“There have been around 50,000 online engagements with students, and learning continues in subject areas as diverse as software development, engineering, hair and beauty, plumbing and languages,” the minister says.

“I commend and thank all the staff for their efforts in adapting to the challenges posed by Covid-19.”

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political reporter

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the NI secretary and the whole of the UK government will work to ensure patients awaiting treatment for non-Covid-19 procedures are prioritised.

He was responding to a question from DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson at prime minister's questions, where he was filling in for Boris Johnson who was absent as his fiancée has just given birth to their son.

Sir Jeffrey cited the front page of today's Belfast Telegraph and asked what plans were in place to stop unnecessary deaths of cancer patients and others in Northern Ireland who may have had their treatment postponed.

Mr Raab said the government's strategy for dealing with coronavirus would not stop those services from continuing and that it was something the NI Secretary Brandon Lewis would work with the parties to prioritise.

Separated parents can make changes to their contact arrangements with their children without going back to court during the coronavirus pandemic, according to updated guidance.

It has been given by the lord chief justice of Northern Ireland.

Children are still able to travel between the homes of their parents during the lockdown, as long as it does not compromise their health.

In updated guidance to parents, it said the changes can be made in circumstances where there is concern "maintaining face-to-face contact would place the child or others at risk".

Image source, Pacemaker

It said the change would be temporary and "should be in keeping with the spirit of existing court orders".

The changes may also include contact happening remotely by telephone or using online video conferencing.

“The key consideration at this difficult time must of course be the health and well-being of children and it is important that they continue to spend time with both parents in line with contact orders, unless doing so would put the child or others at risk," said Health Minister Robin Swann.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said she hoped parents would be "reassured that the court will consider the reasonableness of actions taken when considering future orders".

Further guidance can be read on the Department of Justice's website. , external

The suspension of athletics competitions in Northern Ireland has been extended until at least 30 June.

Athletics Northern Ireland said the decision was taken alongside other federations and UK Athletics "in recognition that event organisers, clubs, athletes, officials and coaches need clarity, advanced notice and time to plan".

Image source, Inpho

The organisation said it will "continue to review the wider suspension of all other athletics activity outside of competition (currently set to 31 May 2020)".