NI health minister would have liked ‘stricter’ pre-Christmas coronavirus measures

A man wearing a face mask walks past a line of shoppers in Belfast city centre as businesses across Northern Ireland reopen their doors. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Northern Ireland’s health minister has said he would have liked stricter coronavirus restrictions in the region ahead of Christmas.

Robin Swann outlined misgivings about the lifting of the latest circuit-break lockdown, as shops and hospitality businesses reopened on Friday.