[ad_1]
Northern Ireland will close its pubs for a month from Friday and will close schools for a fortnight starting next week under the lock of a circuit breaker, Prime Minister Arlene Foster announced today.
The province will step up its measures against the coronavirus after suffering a sharp increase in cases. 863 cases were reported in Northern Ireland yesterday, bringing the total to 21,898, along with seven new deaths.
Ireland suggested this morning that it will consider modifying its own coronavirus measures in counties bordering Ulster.
Ms. Foster told the Stormont Assembly this morning that the rising numbers were of “great concern.”
“We fully appreciate that this will be difficult and worrying news for many people,” he told the MLAs.
“The Executive has made this decision because it is necessary, and we discuss the impacts in great detail. We do not take this step lightly. ”
He promised to see business support “as a priority.”
The measures will cause pubs and restaurants to close before this weekend, with the exception of takeout meals and deliveries. The off-licenses will have to close at 8 pm, with the same cut for supermarkets to sell alcohol.
The stores will remain open, as will the gyms for individual training. Churches will also remain open, but with a 25-person guest limit at funerals and weddings. Receptions are prohibited.
The biweekly school closure includes a half-term vacation week, so children would only miss one week of lessons.
While the moves do not amount to a large-scale lockdown similar to the one imposed during the virus’s first wave, they mark a significant increase in Northern Ireland’s response to spiraling infection rates.
Ms Foster said she hoped other support measures for those affected by the latest restrictions would be approved by another meeting of ministers on Thursday.
‘There will be better days if people take personal responsibility for their actions.
‘I beg the people today to take personal responsibility for their actions. Work with us ‘.
It came as:
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that it is “inevitable” that London will be mired in a Level Two lockdown this week;
- A poll found that the British do not believe Prime Minister Boris Johnson The “three-level” lock is sufficient;
- The conservative curfew rebels made a token protest against the 10pm pub closure rule but couldn’t help it;
- Health Minister Helen Whately said families of nursing home residents will be treated as key workers with weekly testing;
- Nicola sturgeon trolled the pm about his argument with Sage, saying that his “circuit breaker” is “rooted in scientific advice”;
- Bolton West Conservative MP Chris Green resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary over the new shutdown.
Prime Minister Arlene Foster today announced the closure of the Northern Ireland circuit breaker (pictured) after executive ministers agreed to shut down schools, pubs and restaurants.
863 cases were reported in Northern Ireland yesterday, bringing the total to 21,898, along with seven new deaths.
Irishman Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said: ‘We will hear what is happening in Northern Ireland this morning and then we will see if we need to respond to that, particularly in relation to the border counties.’
Irishman Tanaiste Leo Varadkar outlined his country’s plans this morning.
“We will hear what is happening in Northern Ireland this morning and then we will see if we have to respond to that, particularly in relation to neighboring counties,” he said.
‘The main reason the restrictions could be tighter in the border counties is not only what is happening in the north, but also the incidence rate, which is the highest in the country.
“We will have to respond to what happens as best we can, we try to coordinate with Northern Ireland, but the Northern Ireland Executive has not accepted an all-island approach.”
In the worst affected area of Northern Ireland, just under 1 percent of the population tested positive in the past seven days, giving it an infection rate of 970 per 100,000.
It is the highest seven-day rate of new Covid-19 cases in the entire UK, with Nottingham in second place with 880.4 cases per 100,000.
The restrictions were agreed after a stop-start meeting by the Stormont executive that lasted after midnight and into Wednesday morning.
Sports activities will be limited to elite athletes during the four weeks.
The current restrictions on domestic mixing are expected to remain as is.
That means there is no mixing of households in private housing, with a few exceptions, including those that join in social bubbles, and gatherings in private housing gardens limited to six people from no more than two households.
After the executive meeting concluded late at night, Vice Premier Michelle O’Neill tweeted: ‘The executive has carefully considered the next steps.
“We know this is difficult and that people will be concerned about their livelihoods, but we will do everything we can to ensure that there are protections for businesses, workers and families.”
While the moves do not amount to a large-scale lockdown similar to the one imposed during the virus’s first wave, they mark a significant increase in Northern Ireland’s response to spiraling infection rates. Pictured: Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald reiterated her party’s call for an island-wide approach to dealing with Covid-19.
He added that the island “will pay the price” for not having a more coordinated approach.
‘We need to recognize, particularly in border areas, that communities are intertwined and intertwined. They are a community, ”he told RTE Morning Ireland.
“The problem of virus transmission is not unique to the north.
“I understand that in Cork the numbers are increasing and that we are probably a week or 10 days behind the north in terms of broadcast aggression, so we have a problem across the island.”
Some 6,286 new positive cases of the virus have been detected in the past seven days, bringing the total number of cases in Northern Ireland to 21,898.
As of Tuesday, there were 150 patients in hospitals with Covid-19, including 23 in intensive care.
The Derry and Strabane Council area has experienced the highest infection rate in the UK and Ireland, with a seven-day average of 970 cases per 100,000 people.
The area is already subject to additional localized restrictions.
Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh said: “The Executive has taken decisive action to stop the alarming increase in cases in Northern Ireland.
‘The Prime Minister must now fulfill the promise he made to the communities of Northern Ireland and urgently deliver the financial support he promised. Businesses and workers must not lose out because of the sacrifices we must all make to get this virus back under control and protect our NHS. “
