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Northern Ireland will enter an intensive period of restrictions for four weeks, Northern Prime Minister Arlene Foster confirmed at the Stormont Assembly on Wednesday.
With the incidence of Covid-19 continuing to spiral and the pressure on hospital beds, Ms Foster told Assembly members that the hospitality sector will be shutting down for four weeks starting Friday, while that schools will be closed for two weeks starting Monday.
Ms Foster made her announcement one day when the North’s health department reported a record 1,217 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic outbreak to 23,115.
There were four more deaths, bringing the total to 602.
There are now 164 people receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland hospitals, 24 in intensive care units and 17 of them on ventilators.
Northern intensive care units are now under capacity pressure. There are a total of 106 ICU beds and all but thirteen occupied by Covid and other patients.
Northern Health Minister Robin Swann said that due to “rapidly increasing pressures”, the Nightingale Covid temporary hospital located at Belfast City Hospital will be back in full operation.
That facility closed in May due to a decrease in the incidence of the virus.
Border counties
In the past seven days there were 6,693 confirmed cases of the virus in Northern Ireland, about 1,000 per day.
The largest number of cases relative to population continues to be in the Derry and Strabane area. The department reported 222 cases in the area on Tuesday with 287 cases in Belfast and 162 in Mid Ulster. The lowest number of daily cases, 32, was reported in the Council area of Middle and East Antrim.
Derry and Strabane over the past seven days experienced 992 cases of the virus per 100,000 inhabitants, double the next highest area, Belfast with 486 cases per 100,000.
With Tánaiste Leo Varadkar pointing out that southern border counties could face stricter restrictions, Ms. Foster made it clear that she also does not want any avoidable border crossing or other travel.
In announcing the restrictions in the Northern Assembly, he advised against all “unnecessary travel.”
The PSNI is also discussing how to enforce the new regulations and is awaiting more detailed information from the North Executive before commenting on the changes.
Under the new rules, take-out and deliveries will be allowed, but pubs and restaurants must close for a four-week period, Ms. Foster said.
The sale of alcohol outside of licenses and supermarkets will not be allowed after 8pm.
Churches can remain open, but weddings and civil associations will be limited to 25 people. No receptions will be allowed. This will apply from Monday.
Funerals will be limited to 25 people with no pre-funeral or post-funeral meetings.
No indoor sports of any kind or organized non-elite contact sports will be allowed.
Gyms may remain open for individual training only. Universities will be advised to provide “distance education to the greatest extent possible”.
Retail
Ms. Foster also told the Assembly that the retail sector will remain open. However, he added that “the opening of close contact services, such as hairdressers and estheticians, apart from those related to the continuation of essential health interventions and therapies, is not allowed.”
He hoped that more support measures for those affected would be agreed at another meeting of the North Executive on Thursday.
The school closings are expected to affect more than 2,000 students from the Republic who attend schools north of the border. According to 2016 census figures, there were 2,299 students from the southern border counties traveling to schools in the north at the time.
Ms. Foster said: “We understand that these interventions will be difficult, but they will not be in place for a moment longer than necessary. I would ask everyone to work with us to save lives and protect our health service. “
Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill added: “We know this is difficult and that people will be really concerned about their livelihoods, but we will do everything we can to make sure there are protections for families, workers and businesses.”
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