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Stormont’s ministers will meet later to discuss the final details of the exit strategy from the Northern Ireland blockade.
There is uncertainty as to whether the plan will also be released today, as ministers had originally planned, or whether its publication will be delayed until later in the week.
Prime Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill plan to reveal the strategy on the floor of the Stormont Assembly when it is ready.
The ministers have already made it clear that the plan will be guided by data, not dates.
The plan is likely to describe the sequence in which current closure restrictions will be lifted, and action will be taken when the public health situation allows.
Ms. Foster has said that the Executive Delegate will review the level of restrictions every three weeks.
The current blockade of Northern Ireland and the accompanying stay-at-home message are in effect until 1 April. Ministers are due to review that policy on March 18.
The executive has already outlined plans for a gradual return to face-to-face learning in Northern Ireland schools.
Only vulnerable children and those of key workers have attended classes in mainstream schools since January.
Primary school children from P1 to P3 will return to school on March 8, and on March 22, secondary school children in key test years (ages 12-14) will return to school.
On that same date, P1 through P3 should return to home learning for a week before Easter break, to mitigate the impact on infection rates of the return of the high school cohort.
However, officials from the Departments of Health and Education were tasked last week with reviewing that aspect of the plan and Ms. Foster has expressed hope that those elementary students will finally be able to remain in school that week.
So far no date has been given for the return of the general school population.
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