EASING restrictions on sports played on an all-island basis will require the authorities on both sides of the border to move at the same time, the Stormont sports minister has claimed.
Deidre Hargey cited GAA and rugby as two key examples where decisions needed to be taken on an all-Ireland basis.
Her comments came as the daily death toll in Northern Ireland rose by five to 494.
The tally south of the border increased by 11 to 1,572 while in Britain the total went up by 363 to 35,704.
At the daily Covid-19 briefing yesterday Ms Hargey also said a £500,000 hardship fund for under-pressure sporting clubs had been inundated with applications and she would now be looking at potentially increasing the funds.
Stormont's recovery plan envisages the return of close physical contact sports in phase five.
Read More: GAA defended as unionists concerned at hardship fund allocation
As with all aspects of the blueprint, there are no projected dates attached to that phase.
The Irish Government envisages rugby returning in phase five of its plan - projected for August 10 - and competitive GAA a phase earlier - projected for July 20.
The authorities on both sides of the border are in agreement that crowd numbers attending games will be restricted indefinitely.
Ms Hargey said her department was engaging with the main sporting codes on what measures could be taken to reduce the infection risk at sporting events while the world waits on a vaccine.
"I'm looking at a framework in terms of that engagement at the moment," she said.
"We're obviously engaging with authorities in the south, because rugby and GAA for example is played on an all-Ireland basis.
"So we need to make sure that those steps are taken at the same time, because of the nature of how those sports are played."
At a meeting of the Executive committee yesterday Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the current health crisis is the "largest task we have ever faced".
"How we handle Covid-19 is quite literally a matter of life and death," she said.
"It has implications right across the executive."
At the same committee meeting first minister Arlene Foster said the local economy faces “huge challenges” in the future adding that if businesses had not been able to take advantage of the furlough scheme unemployment figures would have been "much worse".
Agriculture minister Edwin Poots has said £25m extra funding for farm businesses struggling with the coronavirus pandemic is a "lifeline".
Mr Poots aid the official intervention reflected the deep and complex challenges the industry faced.
He said: "We know that with falling demand and prices for beef and dairy products, many farm businesses have been amongst the hardest hit, so the funding I have secured will certainly go some way towards helping the sectors.
"This will be a lifeline for many businesses and reflects the executive's commitment to supporting the sectors."
Meanwhile Sinn Féin health committee member Pat Sheehan has called for a permanent memorial to remember all those who have died with Covid-19.
