BREAKING NEWS: Further lockdown relaxations will NOT go ahead
Live music, indoor theatres & outdoor concerts are all paused
Last week, the NI Executive outlined a number of indicative dates, which were due to be ratified on June 21st.
Due to ongoing concerns around the Delta variant of Covid-19, the NI Executive has postponed the further relaxations until July 5th.
The number of Delta variant Covid cases has more than doubled in Northern Ireland over the past week.
In a statement the Executive said: "Clear advice from our medical and scientific experts is to delay any further relaxations to allow further monitoring of the situation."
This will be a huge blow to an industry on its knees, that was over the moon last week to hear live entertainment could resume in bars, concerts, venues, and restaurants.
The Executive statement continues: "We know this will be very disappointing for all those impacted, particularly across the arts and culture sectors. We did not take this decision lightly and are acting collectively in the best interests of our population. This is similar to decisions that have been taken in England and Scotland to delay further relaxations to restrictions given concerns around the Delta variant."
The Executive has agreed a new indicative date of 5 July, to be reviewed on 1 July.
What relaxations are now postponed?
🎸 Live music in bars, pubs and hotels
🎶 Outdoor concerts with dancing
🎙 Indoor concerts
👨👩👦👦 10 people cannot meet up indoors
✅ 15 people from ANY number of households cannot meet in a garden
💇♀️ Close contact services will continue with appointments
🎭 Theatres will not reopen
🏨 Functions / Exhibitions cannot restart
👫 Linked households/bubbles will remain
Our Health Correspondent Our Health Correspondent Tara McLaughlin reports:
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