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The Stormont Executive has cut the Christmas bubble meetings to just one day, it has been confirmed.
In a statement issued at 1.30 am Monday morning, they said they had “made the difficult decision to limit arrangements for people to gather at Christmas.”
The confirmation came after a meeting of the Executive at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday night.
In their statement, they added: “The Christmas bubbling will now be reduced to a single day on a date between December 23 and 27, to ensure flexibility for those who work on Christmas Day to choose an alternative day that best suits them.” .
They say the ministers discussed “the progression of the pandemic and were updated by the Medical Director and the Chief Scientific Advisor on the emergence and rapid spread of a variant strain of the virus.”
No travel ban has been announced. However, they added: “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 meet their bubble should keep it as small as possible, as close to home as possible, and keep the visit short.
“Follow public health advice rigorously. Keep your contacts to an absolute minimum; Keep your distance; wear a face cover; and wash your hands. “
The Executive added that they are “urging everyone to travel only if it is absolutely necessary.”
They said: “Travel is not allowed in or out of Level 4 areas in England. Restrictions apply in other tier areas. Everyone must comply with all current travel restrictions for each region and verify the guide both at the point of departure and at the destination.
“The Executive also discussed the issue of travel restriction and the Ministers agreed to consider this further the next time they meet. In relation to schools, health and education officials continue to work closely together to consider how schools can operate in the safest way possible.
“Given that it is a rapidly evolving situation, the Executive will continue to examine all matters.”
It is understood that executive ministers debated amending the Public Health Act of 1967 to introduce short-term travel restrictions.
Sinn Fein supported the measure, however, practical questions were raised about how quickly such a ban could be introduced, given how long it would likely take the Health Department to draft the regulations to put it into effect.
Sources also say it was noted that the UK government has already said that people living in the worst affected areas “should stay home and not leave their Level 4 area, except for legally permitted reasons.”
It is understood that Health Department officials were asked to undertake further work to examine the issues related to travel restrictions to Northern Ireland.
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