COVID-19: NI lockdown review day

The Stormont Executive is meeting today (Tuesday) to review the current lockdown restrictions which have been in place since Boxing day.

The current lockdown rules, which are due to end on April 1, are some of the toughest measures Northern Ireland has seen since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.

They include a ban on households mixing indoors in private homes, the closure of the hospitality and leisure sector, the closing of retail, and a ban on travel.

Last week the First and Deputy First Ministers announced the country's Roadmap to Recovery, which has a five phased approach.

However, it has received some backlash because the document does not include any dates.

Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill have both repeatedly said any decisions made about easing restrictions will be based on the scientific evidence.

Meanwhile, today’s discussion will focus primarily on the reopening of outdoor sporting facilities and revisiting the Education Ministers return to school plan.

Last Monday P1 -P3 pupils returned to the classroom, as did nursery and pre-school children.

Ministers last week ditched a previous plan for those pupils to go back to remote learning on March 22 when the next children, year groups 12 to 14, are due to return to school.

Mr Weir wants all remaining primary schoolchildren, P4 to P7s, to go back to school on March 22, and all remaining secondary pupils, years eight to 11, to return after the Easter holidays on April 12.

Speaking to Downtown Radio & Cool FM ahead of today’s meeting Peter Weir reiterated that he wants all children back in the classroom as quickly as possible.

He said: “I think my desire is at least to see children back as soon as possible and hopefully work to bring Executive Colleagues along to that particular point.

“I think they’ll want to look at what the particular level of impact is in terms of R number, and I think any action that we’re going to take in terms of relaxing restrictions has got to be balanced against what the broader public health situation is.

“So, I suppose specifically they’ll be looking for, particular advice of Chief Medical officer, Chief Scientific Advisor.

“I think in an ideal world they would want things spaced out so that there was a level of assessment that was there, but that’s also go to get balanced against the fact that children being out of school is creating problems for them in terms of health and wellbeing, as well as their academic situation.

“I think if we don’t get resolution fairly quickly and particularly give certainty to our young people and families, I think it’ll only increase the level of frustration and concern.

““I think if we don’t get resolution fairly quickly and particularly give certainty to our young people and families, I think it will only increase the level of frustration and concern.

“I think for people if they know at least when things are happening then that gives them something to latch onto, whereas if we simply perpetuate further uncertainty that will only exasperate some of the stresses and mental health problems that are there for our young people.”

Mr Weir announced yesterday (Monday) in the Assembly regular Covid-19 testing for staff and older pupils will start in the coming week.

Departmental of Health officials will be liaising with the education sector to discuss operational preparation and delivery, with a view to rolling out the programme in the coming weeks.

Stormont Ministers have revealed that initially, all post-primary staff (including teaching and support staff) and older students in years 12-14 in schools and in Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) centres will be included in this programme of regular testing, which will use Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests.

Expansion of testing to other staff in primary and pre-school settings will be rolled out in later phases.

Mr Weir welcomed the news and said it will provide a significant level of reassurance to schools, pupils and parents.

He added: “Initially, testing will be available to all staff in post-primary schools and pupils in years 12 to 14.

“The roll out of this testing programme will provide reassurance for pupils and teachers that the risk of large groups of exam year classes having to isolate during this important period, will be considerably reduced.

“It has always been my preference that all pupils should be in the classroom to benefit from face to face teaching and I welcome the plan to roll out testing for Year 12-14 students as soon as practicable.”

READ MORE:

Lockdown in Northern Ireland could be over by this date

Better to “maintain a steady pace than charge for the exit door” says Swann

Michelle O’Neill defends undated roadmap out of lockdown

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• covid
• schools
• roadmap out of lockdown