NI businesses plea for guidance before re-opening
Last updated 19th Nov 2020
Business owners are pleading with the Executive to provide more guidance ahead of their re-opening on November 27..
Ministers are due to meet again today (Thursday) to discuss the current coronavirus situation in Northern Ireland.
Before their meeting, some are asking ministers to give them more clarity around the rules.
Joanne Walsh is the General Manager at the Lough Erne Resort in Fermanagh and is one of those making the plea.
She said "Please give us some guidance, the one thing we have be left blind about is we don't know how we can re-open. Are we opening to residents only? Are we permitted to do weddings, even at 25 people? Will there be a curfew?
"We are getting bookings, there is a demand for it out there especially after the circuit breaker, but we don't know what to tell our customers. There's so many outstanding issues like can we take a booking for non-residents in our restaurants.
"The brides are at their wits end, it's very difficult for couples at the moment .I was just speaking to a bride that's due to get married with us on the 11th of December, not sure what to do and I can't give her any advice, I feel a little useless in not being able to give them some advice but I just don't know how we are going to re-open.
"Really what we need is direction as soon as possible on how we can re-open. We will work with whatever way we are told to re-open, as we did the first time with the well being promise we put it place. But we just need more guidance."
Meanwhile, the introduction of rapid mass coronavirus testing is being considered in Northern Ireland.
Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann said he has held discussions with Health Secretary Matt Hancock in recent days.
It comes after a mass testing initiative in Liverpool earlier this month.
Mr Swann will bring a paper to the next meeting of the Executive on Thursday aimed at managing the virus.
He said he has been clear that there "will be a need for more restrictions between now and Christmas if we're to get our health service through the winter pressures''.