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Stormont deputy first minister Michelle O\u2019Neill has said schools, universities and colleges in Northern Ireland should close in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\nStormont deputy first minister Michelle O\u2019Neill has said schools, universities and colleges in Northern Ireland should close in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n
She claimed the public were concerned and fearful and the difference with the Republic of Ireland\u2019s approach was causing confusion.<\/p>\n
The Republic has implemented blanket closures and teachers just a few miles away from each other across the open Irish border are following different official approaches.<\/p>\n
Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster has backed the UK-wide strategy to keep public institutions open for now.<\/p>\n
Her Sinn F\u00e9in counterpart said: \u201cNow is the time to take action and ensure the schools, universities and colleges are closed and that needs to happen immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said large numbers of parents had decided not to send their children to classes today and government needed to listen to the public.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cPeople are fearful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her volte-face from Thursday when she backed the decision to keep schools open was made \u201con the back of public concern that is clearly there and the angst there among the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
She declared: \u201cNow is the time to take action.\u201d<\/p>\n
A total of 20 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Northern Ireland so far.<\/p>\n