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Pubs, bars and restaurants in Northern Ireland will face a curfew at 11pm, Prime Minister Arlene Foster announced.
The curfew will be applied from midnight on Wednesday and establishments must call for the last orders at 10:30 p.m.
The new rules will affect pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels and guesthouse bars.
The curfew will take effect at midnight on Wednesday
Weddings and other special events will not be exempt.
“The intent behind the earlier closing time is that socializing later in the evening is considered to increase the risk of virus spread because people adhere to the rules less strictly after consuming alcohol and in places where they are used to mixing freely, “Ms. Foster told the Stormont Assembly.
Supermarkets and unlicensed stores are already prohibited from selling alcohol after 11pm and there are restrictions that prevent more than one family gathering in homes.
Ms Foster said that while there is a “risk” of people going to house parties, the rules that already exist should prevent it.
The restrictions will be subject to enforcement, the prime minister added.
“We don’t want to go there. We would rather everyone work with us to impact the spread of the virus,” he said.
“But law enforcement has a role and we are working closely with the PSNI and the local government to understand the issues from their perspectives and also the importance of community responses.”
England, Scotland and Wales have already Imposed curfews at 10 p.m. in the hospitality sector.
On Saturday, Northern Ireland recorded its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.
Another 319 people tested positive for coronavirus, the Health Department confirmed.
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However, this is unlikely to be close to the levels at the peak of the pandemic, when there was less evidence and more cases could have been missed.
There are currently 51 COVID-19 patients in Northern Ireland hospitals, with six people in intensive care.
