DUP minister denies linking spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland to religion

Edwin Poots, Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Liam McBurney/PA)

Stormont minister Edwin Poots has denied linking the spread of Covid-19 to religion, accusing rivals of “twisting and distorting” his comments on infection rates in nationalist areas.

The DUP Agriculture Minister was accused of sectarianism last week after he claimed the virus was more rife in nationalist areas than unionist ones by a factor of six to one.