NI faces another two-week lockdown
Last updated 19th Nov 2020
Northern Ireland is bracing itself for another period of lockdown.
After a long day of crunch talks at Stormont, the Executive agreed to similar arrangements to the first lockdown in March.
So, from next Friday there will be a two-week circuit breaker with hospitality, churches and non-essential retail all closed down.
Close contact services will cease except for those for film and TV production, those involved in health and social care services and elite sport (which will not be able to facilitate spectators).
Hospitality will only be allowed to offer takeaway services.
All leisure and entertainment facilities will close, These include soft play areas, gyms and swimming pools.
However, schools will remain open and universities will conduct distanced learning except where it has to be face to face.
Outdoor playgrounds can also remain open.
Places of worship will shut but weddings, civil partnerships and funerals will be allowed to go ahead with the maximum number present 25.
It follows a paper tabled by Health Minister Robin Swann earlier in which he said such a period of intervention was necessary in parallel with the introduction of mass testing.
Mr Swann also asked fellow ministers to consider local travel restrictions which were legally enforceable.
So far they have only advised against "unnecessary travel''.
Key DUP figures said they were open to suggestions because the R-number which tells us the rate of infection, had risen from last week.