2020 play-off with slovakia at belfast's windsor park stadium. northern ireland's contact-tracing app, stopcovidni, has been downloaded more than half a million times, with 22,500 people told to self-isolate by it. 6 november – the number of covid deaths in northern ireland surpasses 1,000, standing at 1,053. deputy first minister michelle o'neill calls for the uk and ireland to be aligned on their strategy for dealing with covid-19. health officials have said the number of covid-19 cases in the north west is plateauing. 7 november – food bank usage in county londonderry and belfast has increased significantly because of the covid-19 pandemic. st joseph's boys' school, derry is closed until 23 november after several positive cases of covid-19 at the school; its 700 students will be taught remotely until then. 10 november – the democratic unionist party vetoes proposals from health minister robin swann to extend northern ireland's lockdown restrictions by two weeks until 27 november; they will consequently expire at midnight on thursday 12 november. figures released by the police service of northern ireland indicate cases of domestic violence and abuse are at a fifteen year high because of the covid crisis. a total of 32,000 cases were reported to psni between june and july 2020. education minister peter weir announces that gcse, as and a level examinations will go ahead in summer 2021. the department of health estimates northern ireland will receive around 570,000 doses of the new covid-19 vaccine if it is licensed. 11 november – police in belfast issue 40 fines for breach of covid rules after breaking up two parties at the same address in the same evening. 12 november – stormont votes to extend lockdown restrictions for a week, until friday 20 november, after which close contact services including hair and beauty salons and driving instructors can reopen by appointment. three of northern ireland's five health trusts have cancelled planned elective surgery during the preceding week. 13 november – first minister arlene foster says that she regrets how the executive handled the decision to extend covid restrictions in northern ireland. health minister robin swann says that hospitals will not turn away covid patients, but warns that other patients may have to wait for treatment. belfast international airport announces it will close for several hours on some days as a result of the covid crisis. ireland's taoiseach, micheál martin warns that covid-19 cases in northern ireland are "worryingly high" and says he is "glad" the executive has agreed to extend lockdown restrictions. 15 november – health minister robin swann expresses fears he may need to ask for further covid restrictions by the end of the year. 16 november – deputy first minister michelle o'neill says the northern ireland executive will do what it can to "protect" as much as christmas as possible. 17 november – education minister peter weir says there are "no plans" to extend the christmas school holidays in northern ireland. 18 november – health minister robin swann announces that he will bring proposals to the northern ireland executive setting out ways to deal with covid. 19 november – the northern ireland executive agrees to impose a two-week circuit breaker lockdown from friday 27 november, meaning restrictions will be slightly eased for a week from 20 november. close contact services will be able to reopen for a week before being forced to close again, but hospitality sector businesses will remain closed. schools will stay open during the renewed circuit breaker. 20 november – as restrictions are eased for a week, first minister arlene foster denies that the dup performed a u-turn over its decision to support further lockdown measures after voting against them a week earlier, and says the evidence to support the measures had changed during that time. dup minister edwin poots states his opposition to the renewed lockdown measures in a letter to more than 80 people, which was in reply to a member of the public's question about the measures. deputy first minister michelle o'neill agrees to participate in a police investigation into the funeral of senior ira figure bobby storey. 23 november – the northern ireland executive agrees a package of financial measures to support people affected by lockdown restrictions. 24 november – plans for covid measures over christmas are announced by the first and deputy first ministers, with up to three households allowed to meet up indoors and outdoors from 23 to 27 december, in line with the rest of the uk. but unlike the uk's other constituent countries, restrictions will be relaxed in northern ireland from 22 to 28 december to accommodate those travelling to and from the uk mainland, though they will not be allowed to meet up on those extra days. chief medical officer michael mcbride has said pubs and restaurants may be able to reopen before christmas, but only if they adhere to covid safety rules. 25 november – presenting his spending review to the house of commons, chancellor rishi sunak announces that northern ireland will get an extra £920m for public services during 2021. health minister robin swann urges people to "unite" and follow new lockdown rules in order to make christmas more enjoyable. 26 november – health minister robin swann announces that plans are under way for northern ireland's covid-19 vaccination programme to begin in december. deputy first minister michelle o'neill urges people to limit their contacts before christmas. 28 november – gps in northern ireland are planning to begin covid vaccinations of people aged over 80 and not living in care homes from 4 january 2021. 29 november – steve aiken, leader of the ulster unionist party, says that a mass vaccination programme will require the support of the northern ireland executive. the police service of northern ireland says that 45 covid-19 notices and 10 community resolution notices have been issued overnight relating to three house parties in belfast. 30 november – staff at belfast health trust are to be offered the pfizer vaccine should it be approved, bbc news reports. education minister peter weir dismisses speculation that schools will close early for christmas. december 2020 1 december – the number of covid-related deaths in northern ireland passes 1,000 as a further 15 cases take the total to 1,011. 2 december – following the uk's approval of the pfizer/biontech vaccine, bbc news reports the first vaccinations in northern ireland could be given as early as 9 december. 3 december – the northern ireland executive announces that non-essential retail and some parts of the hospitality sector can reopen from 11 december, though bars, restaurants and hotels will be required to close at 11pm. patricia donnelly, who has responsibility for northern ireland's covid vaccination programme, outlined the timetable for delivery to the northern ireland assembly health committee, suggesting a covid vaccine may become part of routine immunisation from 2022. 4 december – the first doses of the pfizer/biontech vaccine arrive in northern ireland, ready for distribution the following week. more than 500 sixth-form pupils at methodist college belfast will be taught from home for the rest of the term after 35 positive covid tests at the school. 5 december – an animated christmas lights show in lisburn is suspended after the number of people it attracts is deemed to be a covid-19 risk. 8 december – twenty-five men and women from palmerston residential home in east belfast become the first care home residents in northern ireland to receive the pfizer/biontech covid vaccine, while joanna sloan, a 28-year-old nurse from belfast, becomes the first health worker to receive the vaccine. 9 december – speaking to the northern ireland assembly, education minister peter weir says he will not cancel gcse, as and a level exams in 2021. lisnagarvey high school in lisburn becomes the first school in northern ireland to move almost entirely to remote teaching for the rest of the term following a covid outbreak. 10 december – as northern ireland nears the end of its latest lockdown, ministers urge people not to "get caught up in the christmas spirit" and to behave sensibly. 11 december – non-essential retailers, and restaurants, cafes and other venues serving food are permitted to reopen as northern ireland's latest lockdown ends. health minister robin swann warns that further restrictions are "inevitable" in the new year, but their severity will depend on how people act over the coming weeks. 12 december – dentists in northern ireland express their concern about the impact of covid-19 on people's oral health as fewer dental checks may lead to serious problems not being identified soon enough to provide effective treatment. 13 december – further supplies of the pfizer/biontech vaccine arrive in northern ireland, bringing the number to 50,000 doses. 14 december – in a joint statement, the chief executives of northern ireland's six health trusts, have warned hospitals face being overwhelmed in the event of a covid spike after christmas, and that "several of northern ireland's acute hospitals are already operating beyond capacity". 15 december – antrim area hospital reports a queue of ambulances outside its accident and emergency department as it struggles to deal with covid patients, with doctors treating patients in the ambulances. 16 december – as the northern ireland executive prepares to consider "robust interventions" to deal with covid-19, health minister robin swann 17 december – the northern ireland executive agrees to commence another lockdown from 26 december that could potentially last for six weeks. non-essential shops and contact services will close from christmas eve, with hospitality businesses limited to offering takeaway services; essential shops will be forced to close by 8pm from 26 december to 2 january. the measures will be reviewed after four weeks. representatives of the business community have warned the new lockdown will be disastrous for many business and lead to their demise. 18 december – education minister peter weir announces that schools and other education establishments in northern ireland will open as normal during the first week of january. professor ian young, northern ireland's chief scientific adviser, says that without a six-week post-christmas lockdown, the impact on deaths and hospitalisations of covid will be "severe". 19 december – deputy first minister michelle o'neill says the situation is being kept under review after the uk government tightens christmas rules in mainland uk. her comments come after she and first minister arlene foster meet with health minister robin swann and senior health officials to discuss the situation. 20 december – the northern ireland executive meets to discuss the new variant of covid-19 and what to do about christmas. the decision is made to limit christmas bubbles to christmas day. 21 december – the northern ireland executive votes against proposals to introduce a travel ban between northern ireland and the uk mainland. education minister peter weir outlines plans for the return of schools in january, with some secondary education moving online for two weeks from 25 january. 22 december – sinn féin have called for an all-ireland ban on freight arriving from the uk because of the new variant of covid-19. 23 december – health minister robin swann announces that suspected cases of the new variant of covid-19 have been discovered patients in northern ireland. swann also announces that the stay at home message during the forthcoming lockdown will be made "legally enforceable". 24 december – professor ian young, northern ireland's chief scientific adviser, warns that the new variant of covid-19 could have "substantial consequences" if it becomes dominant. 26 december – northern ireland goes into a six-week lockdown after rules were briefly relaxed for christmas day. 28 december – health minister robin swann urges people to stay at home over the new year, and that new year's eve parties could turn into "super spreader" events. 29 december – as a further 1,566 covid cases are reported, the highest daily total so far, health minister robin swann says there has been a "significant rise" in northern ireland's cases, particularly in adults between 20 and 39, who account for 41.5% of those testing positive for the virus. 30 december – northern ireland records its highest daily number of covid cases with 2,143 cases reported in the preceding 24 hours. bbc news reports that the return of secondary school pupils following the christmas break is likely to be delayed. 31 december – northern ireland schools will have a