Coronavirus: NI churches to remain open for individual prayer

Churches in NI are to be allowed to stay open for individual prayer during the two-week coronavirus lockdown.

Stormont ministers met on Tuesday morning and agreed the clarification to the regulations.

It followed calls by church leaders across NI for the change.

The executive had initially agreed that places of worship should close for all but weddings, civil partnerships and funerals from Friday until 11 December.

They will also be allowed to carry out drive-in services.

Outdoor visitor attractions will have to close as well, while the executive has confirmed that self-catering accommodation will only be permitted to operate on a "restricted basis", in line with arrangements already in place for hotels and B&Bs.

On Tuesday, the Department of Health also confirmed that 11 more people have died after contracting coronavirus, taking the total to 947 in Northern Ireland.

As of Tuesday, there were 445 people in hospital, of those 37 people are in intensive care, 29 are on ventilation.

NI's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride also confirmed the R number had not yet dropped to below one.

Dr McBride said they hoped to get the R number below one with the next two weeks of interventions.

Speaking during a media briefing Dr McBride said there had not been a significant reduction in the number of hospital admissions or the number of patients in ICU.

He said there was an opportunity to "redouble efforts" to make difference and make the restrictions over the next two weeks "count".

Community transmission

Non-essential retail shops obliged to close later this week for the so-called circuit-breaker will be permitted to operate click-and-collect services.

First Minister Arlene Foster welcomed the executive's decision to allow places of worship to remain open.

"This weekend sees the beginning of Advent and we have agreed that it is important that all places of worship can remain open in a limited way," she said.

She added that the small adjustments would help to maintain well-being and reduce pressures.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the executive had listened to views on a range of issues.

"These two weeks offer us the best chance of pushing community transmission as low as possible to allow a safer Christmas for everyone," she said.

In a tweet, Justice Minister Naomi Long said that it was "important" that smaller retailers could operate on this basis.

Aodhán Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, said the decision would be a "lifeline" for retailers coming up to Christmas.

"We need public support to make this work. Please abide by the time that you are given to collect your goods," he added.

"Leave extra time for your shopping and be kind to staff and fellow shoppers. This is in no way a normal Christmas but we can make it better we work together."

The two-week lockdown was agreed by Stormont ministers last Thursday, in a bid to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

It is much tougher than previous periods of restrictions imposed by the executive, but schools will be allowed to stay open.

• Read guidance on new restrictions

Last week, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church had described the closure of places of worship as a cause of "significant regret and concern".

In a statement, Rt Rev Dr David Bruce said the Presbyterian Church continued to make representations regarding public worship to the Northern Ireland Executive in Belfast and to the Irish Government in Dublin.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin had questioned why off-licences could remain open but churches had to close.

He had urged the executive to accept that for many people a "meaningful Christmas" is about more than shopping, eating and drinking and that spiritual preparation is essential.

Earlier this year, the leaders of NI's four main Christian Churches asked parishioners to wear face coverings during services.