Image source, Brian Lawless/PA Wire

There are now just 24 hours to go until Northern Ireland's pubs and restaurants shut their doors for a month, with the exception of takeaway or delivery.

However, after today's Stormont briefing, hospitality staff and other businesses which will be affected by the enforced closures have a little more detail on the financial support available to them over the next four weeks.

It's last orders for our live coverage, but any further updates will be covered on the BBC News NI index.

Enjoy your evening.

The Stormont press conference has now ended. To summarise, the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme opened for businesses in Derry City and Strabane District Council area yesterday and will open for all Council areas on Monday 19th October.

It is estimated the cost of rolling the scheme out to all councils will be £35m for four weeks.

Under the scheme businesses will receive the following amounts for every two weeks they are closed:

• Small businesses (not exceeding £15k Net Annual Value) - £1,600
• Medium businesses (over £15k Net Annual Value and not exceeding £51k Net Annual Value) - £2,400
• Large businesses (over £51k Net Annual Value) - £3,200

The scheme that will apply to businesses, subject to eligibility criteria, includes:

• Cafes, pubs and restaurants that have been temporarily forced to close or limit their services to a takeaway service instead;
• Hotels and guest houses;
• Close contact services in or (using) commercial premises such as hairdressers and barbers, beauty salons, day spas, nail bars and tattoo parlours forced to close; and;
• Other businesses which, under the Health Protection Regulations are required to cease to carry on that business or to provide that service, include cinemas, museums, galleries, trampoline parks, inflatable parks, escape rooms, bowling alleys and ice rinks.

Image source, Pacemaker

Arlene Foster repeated her statement that the new measures which take effect on Friday do not amount to another lockdown, but she warned they will have legal force.

"As I've said before, this is not a lockdown. This is a careful and considered blend of actions designed to cause the maximum damage to the virus, but the minimum damage to the everyday lives of our people.

"We want everyone to act responsibly, which will allow us to keep our shops and churches open, to safeguard the education of our children, while still protecting the health service."

She added: "We know that strong collective action can quickly bring the R rate down and we're aiming to halve the R rate over the next two weeks and then keep it below one for as long as possible.

"This is what is needed urgently to save lives and to save jobs.

"So this is a call to action to every person in Northern Ireland to play their part and a reminder to those who think that any of these changes are optional - these measures become law tomorrow.

"And if you break the law, please expect to feel the full consequences. These are tough times, so our enforcement approach is getting tougher too."

Conor Murphy says the "unprecedented times" have impacted on the executive as well as society generally.

"Not only have the conditions we've had to adapt to impacted on society, but they've impacted on the working of this institutions as well and our ability to do the work that we would normally do that give the confidence of a functioning and democratic institution.

"But we are obliged by the health department and minister to take actions and make decisions quickly to cope with circumstances that have taken everyone by surprise."

He says he has kept in close contact with the finance committee to make sure they are well informed about the evolving situation.

Image source, PA Media

Continuing her list of rules she wanted to clarify, First Minster Arlene Foster also said that the following services do not need to stop:

• Self-catering and rented holiday accommodation can remain open.
• Taxis can continue to operate
• Gyms and swimming pools are available for individual use and on a one-to-one basis with a personal trainer, but not for group classes.
• Music lessons and tuition can continue to be provided from your home.

Third on Arlene Foster's list of queries she wanted to clear up was a question of how hospitality closures will affect the hotel sector.

She said it was the intention that hotels will be able to operate on a "restricted basis".

Mrs Foster added hotels can continue to provide services for:

• guests who are already resident

• workers who need hotels for work-related purposes, "including staff on the front line battling Covid"
• vulnerable people
• people who are in "emergency situations"
• people who are unable to return to their main address

However, Ms Foster said that hotel bars should close.

Image source, Armagh City Hotel

Asked about the definition of being "forced to close" as some businesses could be operating on a much smaller scale, Minister Murphy says: "We are intending to be as flexible as we can."

"We're not going around checking if shutters are down and doors are closed. We're recognising that people should continue to provide services where they can, but clearly not against the regulations that have been brought forward."

He adds: "We're hoping that this the approach taken in relation to job support and we'll continue to have that engagement with treasury."

Image source, PA Media

Minister Murphy says he has asked executive colleagues to bring forward schemes to provide support to businesses who have "fallen through the cracks".

His new scheme designed to provide "immediate assistance" in terms of ongoing costs to businesses, he says.

"We have to take action quickly. There are further details to work out and those will be communicated quickly as soon as we can."

Second on Arlene Foster's list of queries she wanted to address was a question around the restrictions that apply when a loved one dies.

"The remains of a deceased loved one can be brought back to the family home," she confirmed.

"But household restrictions will apply and wakes, unfortunately, are not to be held."

In relation to the furlough scheme, Conor Murphy says those who qualify will be able to apply for a further two weeks.

"Of course then the job support scheme comes in to force from 1 November and those who are obliged to close down as a result of the regulations are eligible apply for that."

He adds: "We have doubled the amount of money we have given to businesses, but if there are specific businesses who cannot meet the requirements of the furlough scheme, we are happy to hear from them and make those representations to the treasury."

Arlene Foster says she has received a number of queries about the new rules and wanted to take a few moments to clear them up.

First on the list is childcare.

"Private preschools, nurseries and daycare centres can remain open to support working parents," she said.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Reuters

"There is no doubt that this will be a difficult four weeks for many, and I want you to know that we care about you and we'll do our best to help you through the next four weeks and beyond," Arlene Foster says.

She said she understands that many people are "confused and unsure" about what the changes will mean for them, so the executive will be publishing "key information" on the new rules in this weekend's newspapers and on the NI Direct website.

Conor Murphy says the objective of the scheme he is announcing is to "get some support to businesses over the four week period the executive has obliged them to close their doors".

"Since we've received additional money on Friday from the treasury, we've been able to double the amount of money we're offering to each of these businesses," he says.

"Will this change the economic fortunes of the north? Will it address the damage the ongoing pandemic is doing to the economy? No, it's not capable of doing that.

"But we have an obligation, where we have resources, even where they are limited, to try and get that support quickly on to the ground."

Image source, Reuters

First Minster Arlene Foster lists the latest coronavirus figures from the Department of Health.

"Over 200 patients are now in hospital with Covid in Northern Ireland, 24 are in intensive care and sadly we've learned today of another four deaths.

"I do send my sincere sympathy to all the families who have lost their loved one," she said.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy announces an extension of the grant scheme already in place in the North West but the payments will be doubled and extended across Northern Ireland.

Small businesses will receive £1,600 rather than £800 for every fortnight they are closed, medium-sized businesses will receive £2,400 for the same period, while larger businesses will receive £3,200 for every fortnight they are closed down.

Applications will open on Monday.

The total cost of scheme will be £35m.

"We stand at a very serious moment for Northern Ireland," First Minster Arlene Foster tells the briefing.

"We are depending on every single person, every single day, over the next month to do the right thing.

"We have learned a lot over this last seven months about Covid-19 but there has been one consistent fact - when we unite and work together we have the power to stop the virus in its tracks," she added.

Today's coronavirus briefing has started and we're streaming it live.

First Minister Arlene Foster and Finance Minister Conor Murphy have taken to the podiums.

The stream is at the top of this live page, just scroll up and press the play button to watch.

Enda McClafferty
BBC News NI political correspondent

Just within the past few seconds I got a little bit more detail on what we can expect today from the finance minster on a paper that he is working on, hoping to get it signed off shortly.

Essentially, what it boils down to is an extension of the grant scheme that he has put in place in the north west.

You're remember it was £800 and £1,200 [in grants given] to those businesses closed down for a fortnight.

What I'm being told now is that these figures are essentially going to be doubled and expanded to all businesses across Northern Ireland.

So, for small businesses closed down for a fortnight, they will receive £1,600 for every fortnight that they are closed down.

Medium-sized businesses are going to receive £2,400 for every fortnight they're closed down.

Then larger businesses are going to receive £3,200 for every fortnight that they're closed down.

That's essentially where we're at right now - that's as much leeway as what I'm being told that Conor Murphy has right now in terms of his available finances.

Image source, Reuters

Ryanair has announced big cuts to its winter flight schedule, saying it will operate at only 40% of last year's capacity.

It said the cuts were in response to increased flight restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This had led to "materially" weaker bookings in November and December.

The airline is closing its bases in Cork, Shannon, and Toulouse for the winter, but expects to maintain 65% of routes with reduced frequencies.

Read more here from BBC Business.

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political reporter

I understand Finance Minister Conor Murphy has recommended to the executive to use part of £200m Covid funding from Treasury to boost payments under the Derry and Strabane council scheme.

I also understand he wants to roll that scheme out across Northern Ireland.

Businesses in Derry and Strabane will also have increased payments backdated.

However executive meeting still ongoing and I understand ministers haven’t yet approved the measure.

We are expecting a press conference at Stormont later with Mr Murphy and Economy Minister Diane Dodds.