COVID19: D-day for Executive in lifting of lockdown
Last updated 8th Nov 2020
The Stormont Executive will meet tomorrow (Monday) to discuss the possibility of lifting some of the restrictions imposed during the circuit-breaker lockdown.
With schools already re-opened, Ministers will have to make a decision on the other closures particularly the hospitality sector.
They are due to open for business again on Friday.
However, in a recent interview with Downtown Radio & Cool FM, Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride warned that they would be unable to reduce the R number which indicates the rate of infection, if both the schools and the hospitality sector including pubs and restaurants were re-opened at the same time.
It is understood the matter will be up for discussion tomorrow.
And in an interview yesterday (Sunday) with the BBC, Deputy First Minister, Michelle O'Neill suggested suggested that there could be some "flexibility'' shown to the hospitality sector, but said so-called "wet pubs'' would remain shut.
She said Executive would not keep restrictions in place longer than was necessary and would examine which areas could be safely reopened.
Ms O'Neill said: "We believe there is some flexibility within the current restrictions that we could maybe open up things, so, for example, close-contact services - is there space for us to be able to open those things up again from next Friday, in a very regulated way of course?''
"The restrictions very much focus on the hospitality sector right now so we're looking at that wide family.
"Across hospitality, you've everything from a cafe or a coffee shop, right through to a nightclub and they're two very different scenarios.
"We're looking at whether there is any space or scope there to lift some of those things in a graduated way over the course of the next number of weeks.''
Ms O'Neill said alcohol was a factor in considering what can reopen, because it causes people to lower their defences.