Coronavirus: How will NI's lockdown-easing plan affect you?
- Published
Stormont's leaders recognised the need to give people "hope for the future" when they published their five-stage plan for easing lockdown restrictions this week.
Garden centres and recycling centres in Northern Ireland are to reopen from Monday as part of the first measures to ease lockdown.
But did this week's blueprint - which includes no timetable - do just that?
BBC News NI has been speaking to people with a range of viewpoints to find out how Stormont's Pathway to Recovery, external has been received.
The self-isolators
Vanessa and Ian Thomson have not left their home for nine weeks.
Vanessa, who is 67, is diabetic and even though she did not get a letter telling her to shield, she decided she didn't want to risk going outside.
This couple are happy to stay home and stay safe
"I don't find it too bad, apart from the fact that I would love to see my family," she said.
"But I do think sometimes: 'Will this be my life?'
"I was happy when Arlene and Michelle gave no dates though because I'm happy to stay in as long as I'm safe."
Vanessa and her husband have been married 44 years. They keep busy with video calls to the family where they play games like bingo, a quiz or pictionary. They also tune into church online.
During the day Ian (70) enjoys gardening, while Vanessa bakes, reads or gets in her 10,000 steps a day walking around her garden.
The bride and groom
Dale McCormack and Marcus Mullan were supposed to get married on 16 June.
Even when Northern Ireland went into lockdown, Dale got no advice from the hotel where she had booked her wedding.
Ms McCormack decided to cancel her original date and re-book her wedding with a different venue, an outdoor venue.
Dale and Marcus had to postpone their wedding until August
She also had to cancel her wedding suppliers, some of whom were understanding and returned her deposits, but with others she lost the money.
Her new "save the date" is 28 August, but when she heard the executive's announcement on Tuesday, she was disappointed that it overlooked weddings entirely.
"There was no mention of weddings," she said.
"It's really not clear cut when things are meant to begin again. They mentioned drive thru cinemas, but that's not a priority in any way.
"How are you supposed to plan a wedding when you don't know anything? I can't imagine waiting another year."
The home-schooler
Gillian Smyth has been home schooling her children since Northern Ireland's schools closed in March.
Mrs Smyth has three kids - one in primary three, one in primary six and a one-year-old.
"Initially they didn't understand what it all meant, but now they have processed that they're off for a long time," she said.
Mrs Smyth is home-schooling two of her three children
"They were hoping they would be back at some stage before the summer."
Mrs Smyth gets sent work from the school which she supplements with other bits of work.
"The children can upload work and they are able to send the teachers videos or get videos back," she said.
Juggling work and home-schooling has been a struggle, however, and Mrs Smyth finds herself working strange hours and throughout weekends to make up for it.
But, she said, her children have been good at concentrating on their studies.
"I'm fortunate. I know other friends who are struggling with their kids. It comes down to individuals, but we have a routine going."
The hairdresser
Hairdressers like Suzan Manning fall into the second last category to get back to work.
She was hoping for good news from Stormont on Tuesday morning, but she didn't get it.
Suzan doesn't know when she will be able to open her hairdressers again
"Initially I was very disappointed," said Suzan, who is co-owner of Zuni Hairdressing.
"As a hairdressing industry in Northern Ireland, we've been put into the fourth band [of five].
"Although no dates have been announced yet, which is a little bit of a problem for us as well, it seems like that's going to be quite far down the road."
The hotel owner
Nobody has checked into the Salty Dog hotel in Bangor for weeks.
Owner Ken Sharpe still doesn't know when he can start taking bookings again.
This hotel owner said he would like a date to aim to reopen
Mr Sharpe said he would like more clarity about a date towards which he can aim regarding reopening.
"You have to have a date that gives you something to plan around and, if it changes, that's fine, we understand," he said.
"We understand the pressures [the executive] are under but they have to trust us and give us some indication of dates.
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- Published12 May 2020
