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Northern Ireland will impose a six-week lockdown after Christmas as rising rates of coronavirus cases put pressure on the British province’s public health system, the delegate government announced on Thursday.
The new restrictions, which begin Dec. 26, include an initial week of even stricter rules banning sporting events and requiring retailers to close at 8:00 p.m., said Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill.
However, the strict conditions of the confinement will also be reviewed after four weeks.
“The situation in terms of Covid is quite serious,” O’Neill told reporters after the Northern Ireland Executive met to agree on the new measures.
“It is very clear from the cases, the positive cases that we see every day, that urgent intervention was required.
“It will be disappointing for many. I think many people will have expected it too. “
Per restrictions, hospitality venues must remain closed, except for take-out service, along with all non-essential retail stores.
The stricter rules will begin when Northern Ireland benefits from a UK-wide easing of limits on indoor gatherings for a five-day period over Christmas.
As of December 23, up to three households in the four nations of the UK will be allowed to meet, except Wales, where the number is limited to two.
The London government and the delegate administrations of Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh reaffirmed the plans this week despite calls for less easing due to rising infection rates nationwide.
The number of cases has risen in Northern Ireland despite a two-week lockdown that began late last month, and hospital admissions and death rates remain relatively high.
Britain has been one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, recording more than 66,000 deaths out of nearly two million positive cases, according to the latest government figures.
