Ulster Unionist Party leader and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt tests positive for COVID-19 before the party's annual conference.

Mike Nesbitt, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and Northern Ireland's Health Minister, has tested positive for COVID-19 just before the party's annual conference. He plans to recover at home while managing ministerial duties. A party spokesperson anticipates he will attend the conference on Saturday, but contingency plans are in place if necessary. Meanwhile, a new COVID variant has not yet been detected in Northern Ireland, and a winter vaccine rollout starts on October 7.