Stormont confirms new Covid-19 restrictions for Northern Ireland
As Omicron cases surge, restrictions have been reintroduced
Last updated 22nd Dec 2021
New covid-19 restrictions have been confirmed by the First Minister and Deputy First minister.
After a lengthy Executive meeting about the next steps to combat the spread of Omicron, it has emerged that nightclubs in NI will have to close from December 26th.
Other hospitality venues will take a step back in time and resume social distancing inside, table service will resume, and the rule of six people per table will be reinstated.
Weddings are exempted from the latest measures.
Health advice was implement more severe restrictions
Health Minister Robin Swann said Omicron is now the dominant variant in Northern Ireland.
He said the precautionary approach would have been to impose more restrictions, but said options were "extremely limited" due to the absence of furlough and additional supports.
"I have made clear to ministerial colleagues that we may have to move quickly again in the event of the Covid situation deteriorating again further and additional funding becoming available," he said.
What financial help will be available?
Ministers were also deciding on what funding should be allocated where in light of any restrictions put in place.
The UK Government doubled Northern Ireland’s funding to £190m, to ensure businesses hit by any regulations were supported “in the face of this serious health crisis”.
More details on the financial packages has not been revealed yet though.
Today Northern Ireland recorded the highest number of daily new Covid infections, with 3231 more people testing positive for the virus.
Northern Ireland's latest restrictions:
The below restrictions will be in place from 26th December
Ministers are expected to meet again on December 30th to review the steps
Nightclubs remain closed
Contact in domestic settings is limited to three households
Customers are required to remain seated in hospitality settings, a maximum of 6 people, or 10 people from a single household is allowed at a table. (Children aged 12 and under are not counted in the total. This requirement does not apply to weddings or civil partnership celebrations.)
Indoor seated and all outdoor events can proceed and it is strongly recommended that face coverings should be worn, LFD tests should be taken before attending events and there should be no multi-household travel in the same vehicle.
The 'work from home' message is encouraged and legislation introduced to require social distancing in workplace. Employers are encouraged to have lateral flow testing procedures for staff coming to work.
Read more:
COVID-19: NI booster programme accelerated
5,500 attacks on NI healthcare staff in just six months
EXCLUSIVE: Nearly 200 driving arrests in 21 days as PSNI crack down on drink driving