NI Minister hopes for fall in Covid-19 R number before schools reopen

Ministers hope the R rate will fall before schools reopen Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The Covid-19 reproduction (R) number would “ideally” need to drop below one before schools reopen, the Northern Ireland Communities Minister has said.

Caral Ni Chuilin said the R value – which is the average number of people an infected person will pass the virus on to – was between 1.4 and 1.6 when the Executive made the decision to close schools for two weeks.