ARLENE Foster has continued to remain silent over controversial comments by DUP minister Edwin Poots saying coronavirus is more common in nationalist areas.
Mr Poots has faced continued criticism for claiming cases in nationalist areas outnumbered those in unionist areas by "around six to one".
The agriculture minister has been urged to apologise, with Sinn Féin branding his language "sectarian claptrap".
But Mr Poots has rejected the criticism, claiming the remarks were not sectarian because "most Sinn Féin leaders don't attend the Catholic Church on a regular basis".
The DUP MLA said the "poor leadership" from Sinn Féin leaders at republican Bobby Storey's funeral "was replicated in some GAA grounds over the summer".
He said it was "undeniable that the spread has been much greater in the areas where this had happened".
The DUP and party leader Mrs Foster have not responded to a series of questions posed by The Irish News in the wake of the controversy.
The first minister was asked whether she shared Mr Poots's view on Covid-19 cases that the "difference between nationalist areas and unionist areas is around six to one".
Given his public criticism of new four-week restrictions imposed by the executive, Mrs Foster was also asked if she has confidence in the agriculture minister and if he should retain his post.
The DUP and Mrs Foster have not responded to repeated requests for a comment.
DUP East Derry MP Gregory Campbell yesterday defended and sought to explain Mr Poots's remarks over infection rates.
"When he made the comments on Friday the cases in those nationalist areas were higher than they were in unionist areas. Now, that could be reversed next week," he said.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme, Mr Campbell dismissed the suggestion that Mr Poots's remarks showed dissent against Mrs Foster's leadership.
He acknowledged there is a need for the Stormont executive "to be seen to be united" in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.
"We now need together, unanimously, to work our way through this and get out of those restrictions, having seen the numbers been driven down right across Northern Ireland, making no distinction between orange, green or in between," he said.
"That's the focus that needs to be applied to the problems that we have now."
He added: "What we need to do now is irrespective of where people go to church or don't go to church, irrespective of their colour, whatever it might be, the numbers of cases have to be driven down."
Alliance leader and Stormont justice minister Naomi Long described the controversy as "hugely depressing".
"This virus does not recognise religion or political views, nor does it acknowledge borders or boundaries. Our entire community should be pulling together to fight back against this, instead of having to deal with this utter nonsense from Edwin Poots," she said.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood tweeted: "Ignore that attention seeker, Edwin Poots. We have a pandemic to deal with."
Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said Mr Poots "would be better saying nothing more", accusing him of undermining the executive's coronavirus restrictions.
"Covid-19 is an equal opportunities killer and it doesn't discriminate against people whether they are Protestant, Catholic or neither," he said.
