Coronavirus: First steps to ease NI lockdown can start next week

Garden centers and recycling centers in Northern Ireland can reopen from next Monday as part of the first steps to ease lockdown, Arlene Foster has said.

On Tuesday, the executive published a five-phase blueprint for lifting restrictions but it did not include a timeframe.

The first minister said updated medical advice meant the executive could now approve the “tentative first steps”.

Marriage ceremonies where a person is terminally ill will also be allowed.

Speaking at the executive’s daily press conference on Thursday, Mrs Foster said the executive was trying to be “open and transparent” with the public, and would publish the thinking behind its decision-making on the Department of Health website.

‘Glimmer of light’

“When we asked where the R-number is today, we were told it is below 0.7 today so obviously that has an implication,” she added.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said implementing the first step of the recovery plan was not a decision that had been taken lightly.

“These are gradual, small baby steps we are taking,” she added.

“Hopefully today is little step or a glimmer of light for people.”

Read in full: NI Executive’s Pathway to Recovery

The first and deputy first ministers said the reopening of the centers could only happen if social distancing measures were followed.

“It’s important to emphasize that any changes in restrictions does not mean we can relax our behavior in any way,” added Ms O’Neill.

Earlier, the Department of Health reported a further five deaths related to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, mostly in hospitals, bringing its total to 454.

Three of the deaths happened since Wednesday, while the other two occurred earlier but have now been added to the department’s toll.

These figures are one of two sets published in Northern Ireland – each Friday statistics agency Nisra publishes its weekly update.

Those statistics cover all deaths where coronavirus has been recorded on the death certificate.

As of 1 May, Nisra had recorded 516 Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland.

Why does the R-rate matter for lifting lockdown?

The R-value – or reproduction number – is at the heart of the executive’s decision to keep the lockdown in place, until at least the end of May, only lifting a small number of measures that bring the least risk.

R refers to the average number of people that someone with Covid-19 is expected to infect after contracting the virus.

The goal is to keep R under one.

Earlier this week, Mrs Foster said the R-rate in NI was sitting at 0.79, falling from between 0.8 and 0.9 in the previous two weeks.

The Department of Health said the R-rate is calculated mostly on intensive care occupancy and hospital admissions, but that care home cases have essentially “no impact” on it.

The executive’s Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young has said the R-number in care homes across Northern Ireland is “significantly above 1.0 at the moment”.