LISTEN: NI Executive set to discuss re-opening of wet pubs later

By Q Radio News

Stormont ministers will decide today if wet pubs can reopen on Monday .

Pubs which only sell drinks have been given an indicative reopening date of September the 21st but previous dates have been pushed back.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland hospitals have the highest number of COVID19 inpatients - since the end of June.

21 people are now being cared for across all four trusts.

It comes as the Department of Health announced the deaths of two more people yesterday.

Roisin Devlin is a lead nurse in the Ulster Hospital's emergency department and says her staff are preparing for an extremely different winter period.

Around 600 pubs in Northern Ireland that do not serve food remain closed, only those that can provide an outdoor service have been given the green light to reopen. 

The hospitality industry has argued for restrictions to be tightened and for tougher enforcement against those who break the rules. 

The Executive is also expected to discuss local lockdown restrictions after the health minister warned we are now on a knife-edge in the fight against COVID-19.

Robin Swann's warning comes as new restrictions became legally enforceable from yesterday evening.

He says further restrictions could come in: