Written Ministerial Statement
The content of this written ministerial statement is as received at the time from the Minister. It has not been subject to the official reporting (Hansard) process.
The Executive Office - Decisions of the Executive on COVID-19, 20 May 2021
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Published on 20 May 2021.
The First Minister and deputy First Minister: Today we have been informed that the data is such that we are able to confirm that the following will come into effect from Monday 24 May:
- Reopening of unlicensed and licensed premises indoors with mitigations
- Reopening of the remainder of Tourist Accommodation including the resumption of post marriage and civil partnership events
- Removal of the restriction on staying overnight away from your normal home
- Indoor visiting in Domestic Settings
- Reopening of indoor visitor attractions - including amusement arcades, bingo halls, museums, galleries and cinemas
- The resumption of indoor group exercise and training - including soft play areas, leisure centres, gyms, swimming pools, equestrian centres, venues relating to motor sport and activity centres.
- Removal of the Stay Local messaging
- Increased numbers permitted for indoor gatherings, (not including domestic settings), with a risk assessment required for more than 15 people
- Increased numbers for outdoor gatherings to 500 or capped at risk assessment level if lower, allowing up to 500 spectators at any outdoor event. Any gatherings of over 30 people outdoors would require a risk assessment.
- Libraries will re-open
- Schools will be able to resume extra-curricular activities, indoor extra-curricular sports, outdoor inter-schools sports and day educational visits
- A full return to outdoor sport with spectators
- A return to indoor club training in squads.
Detail of the requirements in each sector is available on NIDirect and the Amendments to the Regulations will be available on the Department of Health website.
We also decided from Monday 24 May to permit the full resumption of all Sure Start services, and a further relaxation in relation to the resumption of face to face teaching in Higher and Further Education settings, as well as the resumption of student extracurricular and support activities for that sector.
On international travel, the Executive agreed to the following list of countries being included on the green list from next week:
- Australia,
- Iceland,
- New Zealand,
- Faroe Islands,
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
- Gibraltar,
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha,
- Brunei
- Falkland Islands,
- Portugal,
- Israel,
- and Singapore.
| Requirement | Green list arrival |
|---|---|
|
Pre-departure test required |
Yes |
|
Passenger location form to be completed |
Yes |
|
Day 2 test required |
Yes |
|
Day 8 test required |
Required only for those returning from Portugal, Israel or Singapore |
|
Self-isolation at home for 10 days |
No |
As always, we urge caution, we want to continue working through the Pathway out of Restrictions, but we have serious concerns about the variants. We need to be careful and measured in our behaviours to allow us to keep on this journey of making relaxations. We all need to make safer decisions.
Again, we ask everyone to take care of yourselves and each other, adhere to the public health advice, wear face coverings, keep the windows open, wash your hands, socially distance, and remember outdoors is generally safer than indoors.
