A new record figure for daily coronavirus cases has been recorded in Northern Ireland, with 320 positive tests during the past 24 hours.
The Department of Health said it brings the total number of Covid-19 infections to 11,269, including 1,702 notified within the last seven days.
The contacts of each infected person has risen to nearly four.
There were no further deaths recorded, leaving the number of deaths at 578.
Northern Ireland would have recorded 1,000 new coronavirus cases per day within a month without recent restrictions, according to the scientist advising Stormont ministers.
Around 250 are being notified daily at present, and numbers are doubling every 10 days.
Professor Ian Young said Derry, Strabane, Newry and Mid Ulster have seen substantial increases within the last week.
He said: "The Covid virus is going to be with us forever, for the rest of our lives, and the question is how much of it will there be?"
He added: "In a month we would be at 1,000 cases per day if we continued on current trends."
First Minister Arlene Foster told the Stormont Assembly the increase in cases was of serious concern and if not stopped would inevitably lead to an increase in hospital admissions and deaths.
An 11pm curfew has been announced for the hospitality sector to slow the virus.
The time limit will apply from Thursday to pubs, restaurants and cafes as well as hotel and guesthouse bars.
Mrs Foster said: "Building on the measures already in place, the Executive agreed last Thursday that a closing time of 11pm should be applied to the hospitality sector."
Pubs and eateries are being asked to call last orders at 10.30pm before closing at 11pm.
She added: "In practice, this brings the normal closing times forward by half an hour and there will be no late licensing.
"The intention behind the earlier closing time is that socialising later in the evening is considered to increase the risk of virus spreading because people adhere to the rules less strictly after consuming alcohol and in venues where they are used to mixing freely.
"There can be no exceptions to this, so weddings and other important social events will also be required to comply."
Mrs Foster said the arrangements will be subject to enforcement.
It is a later closing time than the rest of the UK, where a 10pm curfew has been introduced, but earlier than the 11.30pm curfew south of the border.
Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill said: "The sector is going to lose hours, it's losing staff and it has lost live music and needs to be given a fighting chance.
"A curfew is not ideal, but we in the hospitality sector will do all we can to make this work, which hopefully will be only a temporary measure."
The announcement bring pubs into line with off-licences and supermarkets in Northern Ireland, which can sell alcohol until 11pm most days.
Pubs that do not serve food opened their doors again last Wednesday for the first time in six months.
Additional reporting Vincent Kearney & Conor Kane
