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The Northern Ireland Executive agreed to reduce the region’s five-day Christmas bubble arrangements to one day.
The relaxation of COVID-19 The rules to allow three households to meet will now be limited to a single day on a date between December 23 and 27.
The flexibility will allow those who work on Christmas Day to choose an alternative day that is best suited.
The decision was made by Stormont ministers during an emergency virtual executive meeting on Sunday night in response to the new strain of coronavirus that has gripped London and the South East.
The Executive said: “The safest place for everyone to spend Christmas is in their own home and people are strongly encouraged to stay home for Christmas.
“Those who feel they need to find their bubble should keep it as small as possible, as close to home as possible, and keep the visit short.”
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Ministers also debated amending the Public Health Act 1967 to introduce a temporary ban on travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Sinn Fein supported the measure, yet practical questions were raised about how quickly such a ban could be introduced, given how long it would likely take for the Health Department to draft regulations to put it into effect.
The DUP’s position was that internal UK travel is already banned in Tier 4 areas in England, so there’s no need to add Stormont legislation to enforce that.
The party believes that the responsibility to stop flights and ferries within the UK is a problem for the UK government and has also raised concerns that Stormont could be left open to compensation liabilities if it were to legislate on the issue.
It is understood that the Health Department will seek further legal advice on the matter before the executive resumes discussions on Monday.
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Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill says COVID crisis is ‘pretty serious’
On Sunday, the Northern Ireland Department of Health confirmed that another 13 people with COVID-19 had died within a 24-hour period, bringing the death toll to 1,196.
505 new cases of the virus were also reported in the region. There were 421 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 30 of them in ICU.
The Executive decided last week to impose a six-week blockade starting on December 26.
The new restrictions will include the closure of all non-essential stores, as well as the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants, in addition to take-out services.
The first week of the new lockdown will also see even more stringent measures, with all sporting activity being banned and essential stores closing at 8pm.
