Warnings have been issued over parties to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister Robin Swann has warned that they could be ‘super-spreader’ events for COVID-19 – as well as being illegal.
In a message issued on Monday, he urged people to stay at home this week to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Northern Ireland is in a six week lockdown, with restrictions in place.
“A New Year’s Eve house party would not just be against the law. It could be a super spreader event, could leave people very seriously ill and could even cost lives,” said Mr Swann.
“We need another huge collective effort across society to push down COVID infection rates. We do that by reducing our contacts with others, by staying at home, by keeping our distance from others if we need to be outdoors for good reason, and by wearing a face covering and washing our hands.
“This will save lives and ease the pressures on our health service at this most challenging time.
“I know how tough 2020 has been and how fed up we all are with this virus. But I am confident we can all pull together once again at this critical time.
“2021 is a year of renewed hope with the vaccine roll out. We need a concerted and united push in the next few months to get us to a better place.”
The Minister added: “Please stay at home as much as possible. Please don’t be tempted to visit friends this week. It’s not just about complying with the regulations, it’s about keeping yourself and others safe.
“A New Year’s Eve house party would not just be against the law. It could be a super spreader event, could leave people very seriously ill and could even cost lives.”