Sinn Féin's Sinéad Ennis asks the minister about "key workers seeking childcare provision" who have been unable to "register or access the schemes" offered.

Mr Swann says he knows personally of a "number of key workers utilising that and have access to it" and asks the member to send forward any further information.

He adds, in relation to childcare providers, that there will be a joint statement from the Departments of Health and Education coming soon.

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Joanne Bunting of the DUP asks the minister if he will "review the PPE equipment" that is required "for those transferring from home to home" - namely, community nurses.

Mr Swann responds that the PPE guidelines have been "supported by the chief medical officers, chief nursing officers across the four nations and the royal colleges".

He says PPE guidance is "there and is done at a national level".

For those who have to return home he says there was an "approach to councils" to be open to allow key workers to get "showered and changed before they go home" in the council's sporting facilities.

The DUP's Alex Easton asks about GPs.

They can test for respiratory conditions, he says, asking if that can be "scoped out" to other conditions.

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The minister says the "influenza spotting system" has 36 GP facilities across NI.

It's used to trace the spread of flu each year and the authorities have asked for it to be used for work on Covid-19.

The Alliance party's Paula Bradshaw the minister asks about testing all patients and staff in nursing homes.

Mr Swann says that when he "left the office today" there were "70 care homes out of 425 care homes" that have contracted the virus.

He says "it's not an acceptable number" but he says it's "not what we've seen" when compared to "similar homes across the rest of Europe".

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Responding to a supplementary question from Ms Bradshaw about mobile testing at nursing homes, the minister says "we have people already in homes to do testing" as he says it is "impractical to bring them to a facility in hospital or to a drive-through facility".

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The UUP's Alan Chambers asks the minister, his party colleague, "what does the overall staff absence look like for healthcare workers at the moment and how do these figures compare to the rest of GB?"

Mr Swann says there are currently "307 care workers who are off with Covid-19 positive response out of our trusts".

He says "out of a staff of 70,000 it’s actually 0.4% off" with a positive virus test.

He says there are "2,000 member of HSE trust staff who are self isolating" as they are "symptomatic", or because they have "received shielding letters as well".

"They are small numbers but I don't want to get into comparison scoreboards with others," the minister adds.

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Colin McGrath of the SDLP asks the minister about "additional services that have been cancelled" such as cancer screening, and says he doesn't want to see a situation where there is a "building up for ourselves a pandemic of a different type later in the year".

Mr Swann says the initial surge planning measures were based on what was seen "looking at those horrific scenes in northern Italy, where they weren't able to prepare their health service".

He says there is work being done to look at how some elective care and screening programmes would be "reengaged" but he says "it will not be going back to the way it was".

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Pam Cameron, deputy chairperson of the Health Committee, asks the minister about the recording of deaths relating to Covid-19.

Mr Swann says what has been done "in Public Health Agency announcements" is a report of "those deaths that have Covid-19 as cause of death and have been tested and have received a positive test in the last 28 days".

He says "Nisra (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) is the body that officially records deaths," adding that the PHA figures are more of a "surveillance report" and says they are "now irrespective of location".

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Colm Gildernew of Sinn Féin chairs the Health Committee.

He's concerned that Northern Ireland's chief medical officer's (CMO) presence at the UK government's SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) committee is strictly in the role of an observer.

Mr Gildernew wants to know what issues the CMO, Dr Michael McBride has raised in his written questions to SAGE.

The minister says he doesn't have the questions with him.

"Maybe if you'd given me a bit of warning that's where you were going I could have done that piece of work," he adds.

Mr Swann says advice was coming back through SAGE to questions.

Robin Swann says: "I very much wish I could provide some certainty on what the future holds for us all."

He says the "outbreak has not yet reached the point where restrictions can be relaxed" adding there will be "no major or sudden shifts back to how things used to be".

He says the "progress achieved through good adherence" to restrictions" would be "lost very quickly if any adverse change in compliance with current social distancing measures or relaxation of measures that help achieve that compliance".

"We have to face this together," he says, but acknowledged that "maintaining the lockdown indefinitely" would have "serious repercussions for people's mental and physical wellbeing"

He says that "this crisis has brought home some really important realities to all of us," adding it has "underlined more than anything else I can ever remember, just how essential the health service is to society".

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Mr Swann thanks local companies who have re-skilled in order to help front line workers.

He finishes by saying, "we can't keep running a health and social care system on empty in the future".

"Let us resolve to do better for the health service that has stood so firmly by us. To fund it properly long-term and transform it for the better.Let that be one of the lasting legacies of what we are living through."

The minister says nursing and care homes "are at the forefront of the battle against Covid 19".

He says it is vital to provide support to care home staff "to keep themselves and the vulnerable people they care for safe and well".

The minister says that ensuring sufficient PPE supplies for care homes is "an absolute priority" and health trusts are working to ensure each home has "a buffer of supplies".

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People who have volunteered to work in the health sector will be prioritised for work in the independent care providers sector, he says.

The minister says that on Monday he announced an additional funding of £6.5m to support care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This will allow for additional staff and cleaning.

"Homes will receive a payment of £10,000, £15,000 or £20,000 depending on their size," he adds.

Mr Swann says the PHA has been "working intensively to recommence contact tracing for Covid-19" in NI.

He says "approximately 50 staff were identified for the roll-out of contact tracing" and that "this week training will be delivered".

He says it will include people from universities, medical and nursing students, councils and environmental officers who will use a "new IT system not previously seen in NI".

He says it's the "same system used in contact tracing scheme used in the Republic of Ireland" but says there is more work to be done on what information will be systematical shared.

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Mr Swann says there is also a "new mobile smartphone app being built" for members of the public to download.

He says it's being built as part of a "UK-wide service" and that "anyone in any of the four nations could download the app".

In relation to any review of modelling assumptions, he says that when the modelling group last met they agreed there should be "no change to current modelling".

The minister says there is a "need to see if the number of infections starts to come down" and that this will be known "over the course of the next week or two".

Mr Swann turns to testing, something he says he wants to "increase further" and outlines that a "scale-up of diagnostic testing" is being planned.

He says "22,328 individuals have been tested in local labs", with that number including "over 7,000 healthcare workers".

He also outlines that there is new testing and surveillance at some GP practices in Northern Ireland and that there will be a "rolling programme of testing".

Mr Swann then says that for "key workers in other sectors, as well as those in the health and social care" sector, there are three drive-through sites - the SSE Arena, the City of Derry Rugby Club and Craigavon MOT centre.

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In relation to PPE, he says he has been "clear about the challenges".

"My aim is to ensure sufficient stock of PPE to allow HSE staff to perform their roles as safely as possible," he says.

He then outlines the combined approach being taken with England, Scotland and Wales to acquire PPE.

Health Minister Robin Swann begins by thanking the health care workers and families.

He also pays tribute to the centenarian Captain Tom Moore for his inspirational fundraising efforts.

Mr Swann then turns to some statistics.

He says the first death from Covid-19 in Northern Ireland was recorded on 19 March.

"Since then we have seen 3,536 confirmed cases of the disease and, sadly, today I announce a further nine deaths. That brings the total to 347 souls that have been lost," the minister says.

He says the figure includes a number of people who have died at home, in residential and nursing homes and in hospices.

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Mr Swann says he hopes those "clamouring" for restrictions to be lifted will consider those figures "and will be jolted back to reality".

He says that, as the chief medical officer has warned, "Northern Ireland remains on a knife edge".

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The Ad hoc Covid-19 Committee session is opened by Principal Deputy Speaker Christopher Stalford.

He asks MLAs to ask "short, sharp, focused questions" to ministers, and warns that those issuing "lengthy preambles, may find they may not be called for supplementary questions".

He adds, he "expects the minister to give succinct items as well".

The Justice Committee has overrun its allotted time so we're going to have to leave the session now in order to bring you the health and agriculture ministers' briefings to the Ad hoc Committee on the Covid -19 Response.

In terms of prison service staffing levels, the minister describes it as "stable" with "15% of staff absent at present".

She says half of those absences are Covid related - with some self-isolating or caring for family members who are vulnerable.

She says the numbers "fluctuate week by week" but says it is an "improving picture" and commends the work the prison service has done.

She says in comparison to England and Wales, there is a "stark contrast between how the disease mapped out in prisons in other places and how it has mapped out here".

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She says no prison has contracted the virus, but that five prison officers have.

"For some, they tested positive after a period of absence from facilities," she explains.

The minister outlines the situation with police staffing levels.

As of 1 April, there are 6,903 full-time police officers and 2,368 police staff she explains.

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"Over 90% of police officers, excluding part-time reserve, and over 85% of police staff remain available for work," Mrs Long adds.

She outlines some of the planning that took place ahead of a potential threat to staffing levels, including legislation that was brought in to allow the early attestation of trainee police officers.

Sinn Féin's Linda Dillon makes "more a comment than a question on legacy".

She says she agrees the legacy approach has "slightly moved" but says it "doesn’t reflect, in any shape or form, what was agreed".

She says, "what is the value of NIO having any negotiations with the five parties" to reach agreement, to then have "thrown it in the bin and said we’re going to do what we want to do anyway".

She says she's angry for those victims who she encouraged to respond to the government legacy consultation.

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Mrs Long responds that there has been "no meaningful engagement in the change in direction" adding it is "disappointing".

She says "there was a consultation process" that was followed by "New Decade, New Approach," but says "to now use the consultation for changing what was agreed after the consultation, makes no logical sense to me, whatsoever".

The minister says "there are still Article 2 requirements to fulfil" and that she will enquire how they will be implemented.

"We will try to play a constructive role to shape that," she adds.

"But, we will not take responsibility for a policy we were not involved in the conception of, as it is a change in direction we weren't consulted about and had no influence over," the minister concludes.

The DUP's Paul Frew asks if any operation in the Department of Justice that has stopped or been re-prioritised "to the extent that it's treading water".

The minister says the department has had to prioritise some of its work streams "but I don't think anything has stopped".

Mr Frew pays tribute to the departmental officials for their work during the crisis.

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Rachel Woods of the Green Party has questions on staffing at the department and new legislation against stalking.

The minister says 80% of staff are working and the department can support work from home when possible.

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Mrs Long says she is confident that the autumn remains the target date for new legislation on stalking and that there has been minimal delay due to Covid.

The UUP's Doug Beattie asks the minister about preparations for a large-scale mortuary in the County Antrim Army base of Kinnegar.

Mrs Long says that it is the "best morgue facility in these islands," adding, "the police have indicated that that is their view".

She says the site is "self-contained" with its own "entry and exit point" and is "very well screened".

"We’re conscious of dignity around this," she says, adding the "contractors have gone in and have built a facility that is really top-class".

The body recovery specialist branch of the police have been agreed to run the facility, she says, adding they will ensure "remains are properly stored, recorded on the system - we don't run the risk of returning the wrong remain to the wrong family".

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"When I watched the news and saw mass graves in New York, I have no regrets at the investment we made in this facility," the minister tells the committee.

She says there has been work done with churches and other groups, so that, while it is not a "facility designed for families to visit", they can be "reassured by pastor, priest".

The minister says the intention is to "keep the facility" in the longer term, and that if it was to be used, "at no point would the facility be left without supervision".

But the she adds, "impressive as it is, it is also very sobering, when you stand in those areas, when you see the scale of what we were planning for and I hope it is something we never have to use".