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The Northern Ireland Executive has released a five-point plan to relax Covid-19 restrictions.
He notes that as of May 10, 33,440 people in the north had been tested for Covid-19, with 4,149 laboratory-confirmed cases and 438 reported deaths, adding that although the total number of cases continues to rise, it is slower than before.
He also notes a “gradual decline” in both hospital admissions and intensive care unit occupancy, “reflecting a reduction in virus transmission here and the progression of the epidemic.”
However, the document says “it is currently unclear” how long those who have recovered from Covid-19 will retain immunity.
“Also, at present, the best estimates suggest that less than 5% of our population is likely to have had the infection and recovered, which is not a high enough level of population immunity to confer protection against further spread of the virus, “the document notes. read.
Going back to the R measure of virus transmission, the document indicates a current approximate level of 0.8, adding that the approach being taken is aimed at keeping the R value below one.
The NI Executive Document sets out the ambition to relax restrictions under a number of headings: work, retail, education, travel, family and community, and sports, culture and leisure, and shares a five-point plan.
The first step includes groups of four to six who are not from the same home who can meet outdoors while maintaining social distance, ecclesiastical services, churches that open for private prayer, the opening of outdoor spaces and public sports services, through cinemas and more sports, including some water activities, golf and tennis.
In the second step, groups of 10 will be able to meet outdoors, contactless small-group team sports training, reopening of some outdoor libraries and museums, as well as indoor activities that include limited contact of less than 10 minutes and with two to four people.
The third step will see groups of up to 30 who will be able to gather outside, reopen more libraries, as well as museums and galleries, resume concert and theater rehearsals and larger indoor gatherings.
The fourth step is scheduled to see church services socially distanced, the resumption of competitive sport behind closed doors or with a limited number of spectators, the reopening of leisure centers and the resumption of open-air concerts in a restricted way.
The fifth step will include the resumption of physical contact sports, the return of competitive sport, spectators at live events on a restricted basis, as well as the reopening of nightclubs and concerts on a limited basis.
However, the NI Executive has not included dates for when each step in the plan can be accomplished and warned that this will take “significant time.”
“The Executive shares the aspiration of all of you: to return soon to a more normal way of living our lives.
While this will take considerable time, we can guarantee that we will not retain restrictions any longer than is absolutely necessary, “the document reads.
“However, it is important that in making decisions now, we recognize the risk of having to reintroduce restrictions if cases rise sharply again. That is why we will only decide to relax the restrictions when we are confident that there is long-term interest in the health and well-being of the population.
“The regulations will continue to be reviewed within each three-week period. There may be reviews where no change is warranted and others where further changes are possible. Each review process should not be read as linked to the next step in the relaxations.” .
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