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Stormont leaders are to review advice on whether they should go ahead with their St Patrick\u2019s trip to Washington DC amid the coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\nStormont leaders are to review advice on whether they should go ahead with their St Patrick\u2019s trip to Washington DC amid the coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n
The North’s First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill have already cancelled the New York leg of their itinerary in the United States.<\/p>\n
Having been due to fly across the Atlantic on Sunday, they scaled back their visit and are currently due to fly to the US capital on Wednesday morning for a series of engagements, including the traditional St Patrick\u2019s reception with President Donald Trump in the White House.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland has 12 confirmed cases of Covid-19.<\/p>\n
Today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also cancelled plans for the New York leg of his St Patrick\u2019s itinerary, but still intends to travel to Washington at this stage.<\/p>\n
After attending the latest Cobra meeting in London on the health crisis, Mrs Foster said she and Ms O\u2019Neill will seek updated advice on whether to fly to Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have been in New York at this moment in time, instead I am in London,\u201d said the DUP leader.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will take and look at further advice later on today and even into tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not actually due to leave until Wednesday morning, we have some time to decide whether it is the thing to do, to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Foster told BBC Radio Ulster: \u201cThe reason we go is because we have very good access to the leader of the United States of America. Who else could have that access, and indeed with businesses?<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we have to balance that with the needs here in the UK and Northern Ireland, so we will be looking at that again over the coming hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Foster said Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, remains in the containment phase in responding to the virus.<\/p>\n
She said there are no plans to cancel major public gatherings in the North, but acknowledged that could change.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment we don\u2019t have advice to cancel those but that advice may change in the coming days and weeks; I know it is very uncertain for everyone who is planning an event or indeed attending an event,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in all of these things, the fact that this is a new virus, a new virus which we haven\u2019t dealt with before, a very virulent virus \u2013 we just have to take the scientific advice in all of those matters.\u201d<\/p>\n