Cara Hunter, of the SDLP, says staff working in Covid testing centres in her East Londonderry constituency are concerned they have not been vaccinated.

Minister Swann says they are employed by Westminster but he would pass on her concerns.

He says there should not be any risk of contamination though due to the arms-length set-up at testing centres and the personal protective equipment worn by the workers.

Image source, NI Assembly

Image source, NI Assembly

Órlaithí Flynn asks about the £500 recognition payment for healthcare workers and welcomes the fact that it is being extended to agency workers.

However, the Sinn Féin is disappointed it will be paid on a pro-rata basis as many have worked additional hours and asks if it can be reconsidered.

Mr Swann says if anyone worked additional hours "it will be reflected in the payment".

Ms Flynn also asks about apparent difficulties in sharing passenger locator information regarding airline passengers between the Home Office and the Stormont authorities.

Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride (above) says he is "not aware of any particular problems" and progress is being made with the Republic of Ireland on the sharing of information.

The DUP's Jonathan Buckley says the rate of cancer detection is down 20% on average due to the pandemic, affecting some 1,300 people.

He says it is about more than just a return to the operating theatre - it's about face-to-face contacts and diagnostic services.

Robin Swann agrees and says in terms of cancer treatment, some plans may have changed but no chemotherapy or radiotherapy has been cancelled.

He says we now have a regional list for surgeries and people can be treated across any NI hospital.

Image source, NI Assembly

Sinn Féin's Carál Ní Chuilín says the minister voted against imposing stricter travel restriction before Christmas when the Kent variant was emerging.

She says this appears to have been "a constitutional position rather than a health one".

"What advice did you take before you voted against it?" she asks.

Image source, NI Assembly

Regarding his voting on travel restrictions, the minister says he has always believed that "what stayed in the executive, stayed in the executive" but he's happy to have the conversation.

He says he brought the paper to the executive at the meeting in December and it introduced a 10-day quarantine for travellers coming from GB and the Republic of Ireland.

The minister says there was a proposal put on the floor on restrictions and there was a request for further information on how many people it would affect and the possible economic effects, including the haulage industry.

He says he voted against a proposal at a meeting "that I didn't have substantive information to back up".

Image source, NI Assembly

Gerry Carroll, of People Before Profit, says he believes private healthcare facilities "should be utilised for public control".

He says it's "sickening" to hear private providers say they have never had it so good.

The West Belfast MLA wants to know what work has been done regarding the use of private healthcare services.

The minister says that "between April of last year and the end of January this year we have put 4,200 patients through our local private healthcare facilities".

Mr Swann says the department met private healthcare providers recently and "they were able to release an additional 112 theatre sessions" to help treat potential cancer patients and other urgent cases.

Paula Bradshaw says during the course of Wednesday, it emerged all five health trusts had opened up their vaccination programmes for the community and voluntary sector to come forward "with very little scrutiny".

The Alliance MLA asks the minister: "What do you say to those people who have shielded for the past year, the carers, about how the process has been handled?"

Image source, NI Assembly

Robin Swann says the community and voluntary sector work in partnership with the Trust and Health Department to deliver services.

He says it was not meant to be a "wide-scale" opening and the Belfast Trust did later withdraw the invitation.

"The Belfast Trust vaccinated some 260 people out of an entire cohort of 42,500," he says.

Those who received the first dose should come forward for their second, he adds.

The DUP's Pam Cameron wants to know "how many people are expected to have received the first dose of the vaccine by the end of April?"

The committee deputy chair also wants to know if the GP surgeries and vaccination centres will have sufficient capacity to vaccinate the general population, and if there are plans for a stand-by list for those who are vulnerable.

Mr Swann says he can't answer the question regarding the end of April because it depends on the available stocks, but they should be well into the "sixth cohort".

Image source, NI Assembly

The minister says the twin-track approach of GPs and vaccination centres is working well in terms of capacity.

The number of vaccines can be scaled up and the department is looking at other sites for more vaccination centres.

He cautions that entering the second dosage phase will entail running two campaigns.

Regarding the question of stand-by lists, Mr Swann says there is very little wastage.

Colm Gildernew's first question is about what changes are being made to the Covid-19 strategy to avoid more cycles of lockdown and lifting of restrictions.

Health Minister Robin Swann says there has been a lot of learning from the first wave of the pandemic, and they have "massively up-scaled" the test, trace and protect (TTP) programme.

He says the average contact time is now six-and-a-half hours after a positive case.

Image source, Getty

At the peak of this wave in January, 12,000 cases were referred to TTP and contact success was 93.5%, he said.

Since January, there has been an increase in the average number of contacts from one to two-and-a-half people despite the current restrictions in place, he added.

Mr Swann also says testing is being rolled out elsewhere - in workplaces, special schools, meat factories, Translink - and waste water was also being tested.

Health Minister Robin Swann says evidence is emerging that "the measures introduced after Christmas have had a positive impact in reducing the numbers of Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions".

He says the R-number stood between 1.5 to 1.9 at the start of January but has fallen to below one.

"That has undoubtedly saved lives," Mr Swann says.

However, he says there are signs that R has now "stabilised and stagnated" and that hospital occupancy may begin to fall more slowly.

On new variants, the minister says the Kent variant now accounts for 40-60% of new cases in Northern Ireland.

Image source, NI Assembly

Mr Swann says he does not want to see recurring cycles of lockdowns and relaxations.

Referring to the statement he made yesterday, the minister says it will be a matter of "small steps".

Turning to the vaccination programme, Mr Swann says: "We are confident that we will see rapid progress through the first five priority groups."

He says it's anticipated the impact of the vaccination programme will begin to be felt soon.

Image source, NI Assembly

Committee chair Colm Gildernew calls the members to order.

The Sinn Féin MLA takes members through some initial committee business before introducing the first witness session.

It's a briefing from Health Minister Robin Swann and the Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride on the Covid-19 response.

Welcome to our live coverage of Thursday at the Northern Ireland Assembly.

This morning, we’ll be joining a meeting of the Health Committee for a briefing from the minister, Robin Swann, and Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride on the response to the Covid pandemic.

This afternoon, representatives from the Law Society and the Public Prosecution Service will give their views on the Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Bill.

The Health Committee meets at 09:30. Join us then.