There is a need for further restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus in Northern Ireland, Health Minister Robin Swann has said.
Mr Swann said the Executive would discuss tomorrow what steps would be introduced. He said it would be decided whether the restrictions would be Northern Ireland-wide or on a localised basis.
The minister said the north was at a "crossroads" and said the trajectory of hospitalisations would exceed the first wave of the virus within six weeks if infections continued at their current rate.
Mr Swann said he was now more concerned than at any point in the pandemic.
He had a stark message for those flouting restrictions.
"Please examine your conscience - this isn't a game," he said.
"It's not a rehearsal, because we will only get one chance to get this right."
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Mr Swann said he would not be taking a Northern Ireland-wide "circuit-break" lockdown off the table.
However, he said he did not expect one to be introduced tomorrow, as there were too many local variations on infection rates.
Asked if the Halloween break might see such a move, Mr Swann suggested that could be a "timely" juncture, as it would coincide with school holidays.
Households currently cannot meet indoors in Northern Ireland while outdoor social gatherings are limited to six people from no more than two households.
An 11pm curfew on pubs and restaurant closing will come into effect on Thursday.
Mr Swann hinted that further restrictions could include added limitations on the hospitality sector, on family and community interactions and on individual travel.
He said the places where the wearing of face coverings was mandatory may be expanded.
“I believe we are now at that moment where further action is necessary to combat the spread of coronavirus,” said the minister.
“Those conversations will happen in the Executive tomorrow and we will have to decide what new restrictions to apply and should they be to the whole of Northern Ireland or on a more localised basis in areas where cases are particularly high.”
The Derry City and Strabane council area of Northern Ireland has one of the highest infection rates of anywhere in the UK – with more than 300 infections per 100,000 people.
In the Republic, there was one death and a further 429 cases of coronavirus infection, the National Public Health Emergency Team said.
A total of 20 people are in intensive care.
The positivity rate of tests is at 2.8% over the past seven days.
Professor Philip Nolan, who is mapping the spread of the virus for the Government, said Dublin’s rate of increase remained three times greater than the rest of the country.
A rise has been seen across Ireland.
He said: “I am worried that the underlying pattern of there being diffuse disease spread across the country may be the same.”
The number of infections is predicted to double every two or three weeks.
The reproductive rate of spread is between 1.2 and 1.4.
Dr Ronan Glynn said: “I would liken it to a forest fire where we see lots of embers and small issues arising in different places.
“If this continues we are going to see a national issue.”
He said the window of opportunity to snuff out the disease spread was closing.
“This is going in the wrong direction – it is becoming a national issue.”
He said traffic volumes in Dublin were down about a fifth on last January but needed to fall further.
“In the numbers we are seeing that is simply not enough.
“It really, really is time for every employer and organisation and sports clubs and organisations, for everything someone is involved in, if they can reduce contacts then please postpone them.”
He appealed for employers to allow their staff to work from home.
