A decision on a curfew for pubs and restaurants in the north has been postponed until next week.
An announcement on earlier closing times, including for 'wet pubs' which opened their doors for the first time in six months this week, had been expected after an Executive meeting yesterday.
However, while First Minister Arlene Foster said there was a "strong unity of purpose" among ministers on the issue, a decision would now be made at the beginning of next week.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill also said it was a case of "dotting the Is and crossing the Ts" and ministers "have an agreed way forward".
It means that venues can serve customers until their normal closing time this weekend.
Pubs in Britain must now close by 10pm under Covid restrictions, while in the Republic the curfew is 11.30pm.
The hospitality sector had encouraged ministers to match the Republic's hours, saying the extra 90 minutes represented "50-70 per cent of an already reduced income".
Speaking after the executive meeting yesterday, Ms Foster said: "It's important we have all the issues dealt with before an announcement is made."
The DUP leader also revealed that the coronavirus reproductive rate is now 1.5, although the level of infection in Ballymena where limitations on household gatherings were first implemented had shown encouraging signs.
A further 189 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded across the north yesterday, taking the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 9,950. There were no further deaths.
In the south, three more people were confirmed to have died, bringing the total death toll to 1,797.
The Republic also saw a further 324 confirmed cases of the virus.
Of those, 42 were in Co Donegal, prompting the Irish government to announce tighter restrictions for the county, beginning tonight and lasting until October 16.
Similar to rules already in place in Dublin, Donegal's new Level 3 restrictions mean a ban on indoor dining, strict limits on the number of people allowed to gather indoors and outdoors, and further limits on the number of spectators allowed at sporting events.
Donegal residents are also asked not to travel outside the county, while the number allowed to gather for weddings and funerals is limited to 25.
The UK saw a rise of 6,634 cases yesterday, while another 40 people were confirmed to have died. This takes the overall death toll to 41,902.
Meanwhile, the PSNI have issued a further 43 Covid notices, 14 prohibition notices and one community resolution notice in relation to gatherings and associated anti-social behaviour in the Holylands area of south Belfast.
Chief Inspector Gavin Kirkpatrick urged students living in the area not to risk "impacting on their education and career opportunities" by ignoring coronavirus restrictions.
"I am again making an appeal to parents and guardians who allow their young people to visit friends or attend parties in this residential area," he said.
"You are not helping this situation. Please to speak to your young people, ensure you know where they are, who they are with and what they are doing.
"If you have moved to the Holyland area, you must also be good neighbours as the residents of this area who are fed up dealing with anti-social and criminal behaviour on their doorsteps.
"It is also critical that you follow the Health Protection Regulations to protect yourselves and others from Covid-19."
