That's it for our coverage of today's briefing from the First Minister and Finance Minister.

You can continue to get all the latest on NI's battle against Covid-19 and the lifting of restrictions on our website.

Thank-you for joining us and have a lovely evening.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy says the Executive had a briefing earlier this afternoon on the Pathway document.

He says it is still being worked through and that it covers broad themes including health, community and the economy.

"There is more work to be done in relation to that, in particular where easing of restrictions sits in that middle of that - will be worked through this week," added Mr Murphy.

Mr Murphy says he is hopeful it will be brought to the assembly in early March.

Some certainty has been provided for families as regards pupils going back to school.

But is there a possibility some pupils may not return after the Easter holidays?

Mrs Foster says that there will be a gradual return of young people coming back "to where they belong - in face to face teaching".

She says the executive has looked at the fact that transmissibility is higher among those over 12 years of age and the pressure on secondary children who are in exam years and need to be assessed even though they are not doing exams. She says these are "competing" factors.

"After Easter if we continue to go in the same trajectory as we are now, the rest of the tranches - the p4 to p-7 and the rest of post primary will be back to school" she says.

She cites other jurisdictions where a similar pattern is being used.

She says young people have missed out dreadfully and also knows that home schooling can be a challenge.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy says he is glad the content of the Bobby Storey report has been released.

He says the report recognises that there was no political interference or pressure put on staff in relation to the handling of these funerals.

He says he recognises that there were other families who used that service on the day of the funeral and says those families have had trauma added to their pain, including the Storey family.

"This saga has rolled on, it's been much commented, speculated on, reported on - that adds to the grief that these families are already facing", added Mr Murphy.

He went on to say he hopes this report puts "that particular part of this issue to bed and allows people to move on".

Image source, Pacemaker

Image source, Pacemaker

Mrs Foster is also asked a question about Easter holidays - what kind of Easter can people plan for?

She says there will be a much clearer view of where NI is at when the restrictions are reviewed on 18 March.

"We do understand it is an important time for families," she says.

She is also asked a question about the independent report into how Belfast City Council organised the cremation of republican Bobby Storey.

She says she has not yet got a chance to read it but she will.

Mrs Foster says that she is reminded "there are eight families who were not afforded the same treatment as the Storey family" and no report will take away their "hurt and pain" after they were "treated differently".

Some advice now from Conor Murphy for people thinking of trying to get away from Easter - do not book anything or make firm plans.

He says although the numbers are going in the right direction this will be "a slow re-entry into normal life".

"I don't think that this side of Easter that there will be any serious easing of restrictions," adds Mr Murphy.

"I would advise people not to be booking anything, not to be looking at the 1st of April as when everything opens up again."

Mr Murphy advises people to wait until the 18 March to if further easing of the restrictions are possible.

Image source, BBC News

The Finance Minister says "we need to tread very carefully" when we do move out of the restrictions.

"Small gradual steps are crucial if we're going to remain on top on the virus," he adds.

He goes on to say we have to be driven "not by dates" but by the path of the pandemic.

Mr Murphy says that the communities minister is extending the legislation to protect private renters from eviction up to 30 September.

He adds that the executive will do what it can to support those most in need during this time.

Image source, Getty Images

Mrs Foster announces some good news for those missing loved ones.

"We are very conscious that one of the greatest challenges is reduced contact so from Monday 8 March we will increase the number of people who can meet outdoors - up to 10 people from no more than two households can meet in a park or public space," she says.

It comes after she confirms that some click and collect services will be reinstated from 8 March.

"We understand that some goods have become essential over time - such as baby goods, clothing, electricals, footwear," she says.

Those items can be bought via click and collect from 8 March, with the measure reviewed on 18 March. Customers must also use contactless payment.

Here's more detail from the first minister on the proposed return to school - Mrs Foster says that students doing qualifications like GCSEs, AS, A-levels and other vocational qualifications will return to full time face-to-face teaching from 22 March.

To get these students back, and to ensure that two large cohorts are not back before Easter, pre-school nursery years children will have remote learning during the week of 22 March before the Easter break.

Image source, Getty

The intention is to get pupils back to school as soon as is achievable, after Easter, with the option of a separate phased return for P4 to P7 pupils and the remaining non-qualification years of post-primary.

The aim is "dependent on the health situation at the time", Mrs Foster adds.

The first minister says she and the Education Minister Peter Weir have made a return to classroom learning a "priority" but it must only happen if health assessments allow – she says they will have an impact on R rate but that the greatest risk is not in schools themselves but outside of school, such as when parents drop children off and pick them up again.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy starts by paying tribute to those six people reported to have lost their lives with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

He goes on to say that Coronavirus cases have continued to decrease and that the R rate - or the rate of virus transmission - is now between 0.7 to 0.8.

He adds that although the vaccination programme is "progressing extremely well" he says the number of inpatients remains very high at 418 and that "the emergence of new variants of the virus will make control of community transmission even more challenging".

As we reported earlier, the youngest primary school pupils will be going back to class, with post-primary school pupils in years 12-14 returning on 22 March.

The news is confirmed by the first minister, who says there will be a phased return for other schoolchildren not in those groups.

Image source, Pacemaker

Image source, Pacemaker

Arlene Foster gives an update on the vaccination programme, saying that NI is steadily “working our way up towards the 500,000 mark for first vaccinations and reaching 30% of NI adult’s population”.

She warns that there is a lag time between getting the vaccine and full immunity and so asks those who have had it to still be careful.

She says that the decisions have not been easy – and we must proceed with "caution and care", adding that she is hopeful we "leave lockdowns in the rear view and do not step back again".

"The priority is keeping the R rate under one so with that in mind a full lifting of the restrictions will not happen," she says, adding that, in light of scientific advice, they "must be in place for another four weeks".

She says a review of this will happen on 18 March and they will be under constant review.

First Minister Arlene Foster is first at the podium.

She says this is now the executive's seventh review of the health restrictions and has been informed by scientific and medical evidence on the "necessity of the measures on every day life".

She says they place a “heavy burden" on people in NI.

She says that significant results have been made and the R rate now sits at about 0.7 to 0.8, which is down again from last week.

She goes on to say the number of people needing ICU care has also gone done and she thanks the NI public for efforts.

"We are now past the peak of this period of infection," she says.

However, she reminds everyone of the "prevalence of the new variant".

She says B117 now makes up 70% of all our cases and this variant "moves with alarming speed".

She says contact increases the rate of infections so while our numbers are decreasing the level of community transition is still a concern.

Arlene Foster and Conor Murphy are at their podiums - the briefing has begun. Hit the play button at the top of the page to watch live.

We'd also expect some update to the vaccination programme, following Wednesday's announcement that it had been extended to include carers and more people with underlying health conditions.

The vaccine rollout will be divided between GP practices and the seven regional vaccination centres.

Northern Ireland's vaccine rollout is running weeks ahead of schedule and Thursday's figures show that 427,569 people have received their first dose and 30,012 have received both their first and second.

Other news that is expected to be confirmed are slight changes to click-and-collect services for some retailers.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds tweeted earlier that she was hopeful of a "safe and sustainable" reopening of sectors.

Non-essential shops in Northern Ireland are closed due to lockdown measures.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC News NI understands that the executive has agreed to allow primary school children in P1-P3 to return to the classroom on 8 March.

The proposal, from Education Minister Peter Weir, is also likely to allow children in pre-school settings return on the same day, while pupils in years 12-14 in post-primary schools will return to class on 22 March.

However, pupils in years 4-7 in primaries and years 8-11 in post-primaries will not return to school before the Easter break.

Read more here.

Image source, PA Media

The big news expected to be confirmed during the press conference is an extension in NI's lockdown restrictions until 1 April.

BBC News NI understands that a review of the measures will take place on 18 March.

Arlene Foster and Conor Murphy are expected to give more details shortly.

There is also big news on schools expected, however, with the youngest primary school pupils set to return to classrooms from 8 March - more on that shortly...

...and welcome to our live coverage of this afternoon's press conference with First Minister Arlene Foster and Finance Minister Conor Murphy.

It's expected that they will confirm that NI's lockdown restriction, which were due to end on 5 March, will be extended until 1 April.

We'll have all the latest text updates from the briefing plus you can watch it live from about 4.15pm, via the play button at the top of the page.