Mental health and the effect of the latest restrictions is a concern for Andrew Muir.

The Alliance MLA asks the minister what role the mental health champion, Prof Siobhan O’Neill, has in advising the executive on their decisions.

Robin Swann says Prof O’Neill doesn’t have direct input into the executive discussion, but does have ongoing discussions with the department officials.

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Andrew Muir turns to the completion of the vaccination rollout.

When will we expect phase one to be finished?

“We would hope to have that first vaccination to all those individuals, even down to priority group four... at the end of February,” says the minister.

Rosemary Barton, the health minister’s UUP colleague, asks Mr Swann for confirmation that all staff working in Covid wards and hospitals have received a vaccine?

“Not all our hospital staff have been vaccinated to date,” responds the minister, but assures the member “that we are working our way through the supplies that we currently have”.

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When will under 18s be vaccinated?, asks Mrs Barton.

Robin Swann says “the only people under 18 that will receive it (the vaccine) are those who are deemed clinically extremely vulnerable”.

North Down MLA Alan Chambers says he supports the strategy of delaying doses of the vaccine.

He asks MLAs if 40,000 people "receiving a dose of vaccine that can give them up to 90% protection" was preferable to "20,000 people receiving two doses that would give them 95% protection".

Mr Chambers says the first approach "offers a much more positive impact against the transmission of the virus" and would also relieve pressure on the NHS.

Health Minister Robin Swann, a UUP colleague, says a longer period between doses was "the right thing to do" by making sure as many people as possible can receive their first dose.

Robin Swann says the health system is retaining as many non-Covid services as possible - unlike in the first wave.

He's been asked by DUP MLA Pam Cameron to confirm if some cancer operations have been cancelled.

He says there have been cases where this has happened as staff cope with an "ever increasing" number of Covid patients.

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He adds: "That’s not to be unexpected but one of the things that we’ve done through this surge that we didn’t back in April and March is actually keep as many services going as we possibly can.

"But it's the pressure that the staff are under when we do have to see those downturns in elective surgeries and other surgeries, because they do not only put stress on the patients, they do put emotional strain and stress on our health profession."

The SDLP's Cara Hunter asks if the Department of Health has looked at using "vaccination vans, door-to door-vaccinations, drive-through vaccination sites, 24-hour options or the re-purposing of Covid-19 testing sites".

Robin Swann says while they are looking at ways of getting people vaccinated as soon as possible, "unfortunately we can't divert our Covid testing centres because we need them now".

"We need them more than ever now."

On Tuesday it was revealed that 46,000 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had been administered in Northern Ireland.

The chair of Stormont's health committee Colm Gildernew asks the health minister why the doses of the Pfizer vaccine are being spread out beyond the initially recommended 21 days.

He says there have been concerns raised, including by the World Health Organisation, and questions if the decision was taken "in the absence of robust data".

Robin Swann says the decision was taken at the end of December and supported by regulators, Sage and Independent Sage that "it was an acceptable thing to do".

The minister adds that he hopes the debate around doses does not undermine confidence in the vaccination programme.

Mr Swann says MLAs will understand "the importance of the maximum uptake of vaccine that we can get as quick as we can".

“Our aim now is to secure a rapid drop off in Covid case numbers once peak levels are reached,” says Robin Swann.

The health minister adds that the “lockdown and the additional restrictions agreed yesterday will be vital in that regard”.

Mr Swann says there are “real reasons to be optimistic for the future” as, at “close of play yesterday, I can inform members that over 50,000 people had received their first doses of the vaccine”.

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The minister pleads to “everyone in position of influence and responsibility” not to make “rash comments that could damage public confidence in vaccination”.

Turning to the prioritisation of the vaccine, Robin Swann says he will “continue to take my lead from JCVI (The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation)”.

“Everyone of us across NI has a role to play in getting through this crisis,” adds the minister.

There’s a change at the top table with Deputy Principal Speaker, Christopher Stalford, replacing Alex Maskey in the hot seat.

Robin Swann, the Minister for Health, is next to appear in the chamber to face MLAs on the Ad Hoc Covid-19 Response Committee.

He begins by telling members “we are now effectively back to where we were in March with the ‘Stay At Home’ message, front, middle and centre”.

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The minister says that over the Christmas period, “the progress of the epidemic and transmission of the virus was in line with modelling projections which were provided to the executive before Christmas”.

Mr Swann adds: “We have begun to see hospital admissions rise in the last few days and this trend will continue four the next couple of weeks.

“The next surge is firmly under way and we should be under no illusions as to how serious it will be”.

Here’s a brief summary of what you need to know from today’s statement by the education minister:

• all mainstream education providers are to provide remote learning at home to pupils until the half term break in mid-February

• vulnerable children and children of key workers will have access to schools for supervised learning

• all GCSE, AS and A-level examinations in Northern Ireland have been cancelled

• Peter Weir tells MLAs it’s “critical” that alternative examination options are “right”

• The minister says he has written to the health minister about prioritising vaccinations for those in the education sector

Independent MLA Claire Sugden says teaching staff feel that they have not been listened to.

She calls for the minister to do more to engage with them.

Ms Sugden turns to concerns around yesterday’s announcement by AQE regarding post-primary transfer tests.

“We need to do better minister,” she adds.

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Peter Weir responds to a supplementary question from the member about vaccinations for those in the education sector.

The minister says he has written to the health minister about this matter.

“Collectively, the sooner, and the larger volume vaccinations can happen” Mr Weir says, “I think it needs to be taken”.

Are after-schools clubs counted as permitted childcare under the latest restrictions, and are these staff key workers, asks Green Party MLA Rachel Woods.

The education minister says “an after-school club, or effectively what is called school-age childcare, is counted as part of childcare”.

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Peter Weir says there is an “expectation that those sort of groups will be in a fairly difficult situation” as it is normally used as an “additional device beyond school”.

With face-to-face learning not taking place, this may present difficulties for some of these organisations, adds the minister.

Police have warned of a new phishing text message which tells people they are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine before asking for bank details.

Officers say the text contains a link to a "convincing, but fake" NHS website which requests account and sort code numbers as a means of proving your address.

"Never give out your personal information, banking details or passwords in response to an email, text or phone call without verifying that the caller is who they say they are," they advise.

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Police also suggest people "keep an eye out for spelling mistakes" and "always go to the website directly, by typing out the address yourself", rather than clicking on links.

"Scams can come in many forms and this one is just the latest attempt by fraudsters to exploit the pandemic for financial gain."

DUP MLA Paul Givan says the education minister is being used as a "scape goat".

Mr Givan adds: "It is children who are paying the price for the failures of many others. Not least when it came to enforcement, the Department of Justice, not least when it comes to building capacity in the health service.

"This minister is being used as a scapegoat by others in this house who snigger and smirk over issues around children's education."

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Peter Weir says there is a "strong, concerted effort" to cancel academic selection.

He's been asked again, this time by former education minister, Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd, whether he the post-primary transfer tests should be cancelled.

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Mr Weir's comments are interrupted by cries of "rubbish".

He says: "I am not going to take the next generation and tell them your opportunity to go to the school you want to go to is destroyed.

"As much as possible I will not be the one stopping academic selection or indeed facilitating the ultimate destruction of the grammar schools but more importantly, the life chances of many of our young people."

What score would the education minister give himself out of 10?

That’s the question from UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt.

“Evaluation is one thing, I think self-evaluation is always a fairly ropey concept in that regard,” responds Peter Weir.

Strangford MLA Mr Nesbitt says “there are many people out there who are not happy with you and would probably like to echo the words of Oliver Cromwell when he dismissed the Rump Parliament in 1653: ‘In the name of God, go’.”

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Peter Weir says “it’s a fairly cheap shot” from Mr Nesbitt.

“I’d prefer to concentrate on delivering for our children an trying to do the best that we possible can,” he adds.

A Covid-19 support scheme aimed at helping traditional drink-only pubs will start next week.

The Wet Pubs Business Support Scheme should provide £10.6m in support to businesses that had to remain closed between 4 July and 23 September when the rest of the hospitality sector was allowed to open.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds said pubs that only served alcohol were among the "hardest hit" by Covid-19 health regulations.

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“Roll out of the scheme will now commence during the week beginning the 11 January 2021. Qualifying Wet Pubs will be identified by my department from a list of recipients of the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme provided by Land & Property Services," said Mrs Doods.

"My department will be contacting them before the end of January 2021.

"Once applications are verified payments will be made as soon as possible thereafter.”

Principals and teachers in special schools “feel like they have been left behind” says Justin McNulty of the SDLP.

What additional support have they been provided to ensure pupils and staff are safe in coming weeks?

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Education Minister Peter Weir says “there is no particular magic trick to the virus which means that there is one measure taken in one location and another taken in another”.

“The reason why special schools are singled out” is due to the vulnerability of those children, adds the minister.

SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan asks Peter Weir if his “last minute approach” has contributed to the “confusion and stress” of pupils and their parents.

Mr Weir responds that a “range of actions” have been taken, and that there are “great changes to our examination process”.

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“Given the levels of disruption that will be happening with remote learning,” the minister says “we are left with this suboptimal situation”.

“It is critical that this is got right,” concludes the minister.

The minister’s DUP colleague, William Humphrey, asks what additional safety measures, if any, will be introduced in special schools that will remain open during the latest lockdown.

Peter Weir says any measures that are necessary will be introduced, but “if there was a simple action that could provide some level of additional protection it would have been taken on that basis”.

The minister adds that “for a lot of parents of special education needs children, they may well want to have their children at home”.

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Mr Humphrey asks if the minister will continue to work with principals, teachers, the Education Authority (EA) and unions?

Peter Weir says he will, adding “sometimes the thing that is forgotten in education is parents”.

He says “it’s important that they are also a key part of the conversation as well”.

Peter Weir denies holding transfer tests is "inconsistent" with the decision to cancel other exams.

Mr Weir says he disagrees with Sinn Féin MLA Karen Mullan about the need to scrap all academic selection for 2021, adding the believes "it is right there is an opportunity for academic selection" within public health guidance.

All GCSE, AS and A-level examinations in Northern Ireland will not go ahead this year.

However a single Association for Quality Education (AQE) transfer test was scheduled for 27 February.

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