Covid-19: Murphy 'sincerely believes' strictest restrictions over
- Published
Indoor hospitality can operate from Monday
Northern Ireland has likely seen "the end" of the most stringent coronavirus restrictions, the finance minister has said.
On Thursday, the executive agreed to ease some restrictions, allowing hospitality to operate indoors, and hotels and B&Bs to reopen from Monday.
Conor Murphy said he "sincerely believed" there would not be a return to full lockdowns.
He said even the worst case modelling showed the health service could cope.
Asked on BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster programme if Northern Ireland would see the same scale of regulations brought in again, Mr Murphy said: "I believe it's the end of the restrictions as we have seen them.
"Even in the modelling we have seen, in the worst case scenario the health service can continue to cope, albeit it needs ongoing support.
Conor Murphy says he "sincerely believes" Northern Ireland has seen the end of the most stringent restrictions
"Of course we can't, with a huge degree of accuracy, project into the future, we know there are other variants out in the world, we know they are having an impact in other places, we have to continue to protect ourselves and that's why the message remains that Covid is still with us."
However, he said restrictions and mitigation measures would continue for some time.
On Thursday, Stormont announced it had allocated £316m in pandemic-recovery funding.
Mr Murphy said it would take more than reopening to get businesses back on their feet.
"It is going to be a difficult time ahead for business so the executive now is going to focus more on economic recovery rather than businesses that have been closed."
What is happening from Monday?
Indoor household visits allowed, with up to six people from no more than two households (this does not include children under 12);
Overnight stays permitted;
Indoor hospitality allowed with six people allowed to sit together from unlimited households (children under 12 not counted in the six);
Hotels, B&Bs and other travel and tourism venues to reopen;
Post wedding and civil partnership receptions permitted, with no restriction on top table but restriction of 10 at other tables;
Removal of stay local message;
Schools can resume extra-curricular activities, with indoor sports and outdoor inter-schools sports allowed;
Indoor visitor attractions can reopen with mitigations, including amusement arcades, bingo halls, museums, galleries and cinemas;
Libraries can reopen;
All outdoor and indoor sport and leisure venues are permitted to open and indoor group exercise and training can resume, including soft play areas, leisure centres, gyms, swimming pools, equestrian centres, venues relating to motor sport and activity centres;
Up to 500 spectators allowed at outdoor sport events or gatherings;
Increase in number allowed for indoor (non-domestic) gatherings, subject to venue risk assessment.
Pubs prep for reopening
Sinead and Gerard Keenan, who own and manage Dan's Bar in west Belfast, thought they may be forced to sell-up due to lockdown.
On Monday, they will reopen with a fresh coat of paint.
Pubs that only sell drinks were among the first to close, and the last to reopen.
Mrs Keenan told Good Morning Ulster: "I'm super excited but super nervous. I'm hoping I still remember how to pull the perfect pint."
The Keenans have given their pub a fresh coat of paint ahead of reopening
Michael Stewart, from House Hotel in Belfast, said it was not just about money.
He said: "It's been five months since hospitality closed its doors on Christmas Eve and it's been a long five months so it's very, very welcome.
"It's about getting the place back open, getting the tills ringing again but also getting people back into employment."
Kiera Duddy, owner of the Pickled Duck in Londonderry, said that it was "full steam ahead" for indoor dining.
"We were ecstatic when we heard the news on Monday that we could open indoors, because our weather here isn't what you would really call Mediterranean.
"The weather this time in May has been unfavourable to us, but we have made good of a bad situation and we've got our wind-breakers on and our gas heaters," Ms Duddy told BBC Radio Foyle.
Travel gets green light
Twelve countries are on Northern Ireland's so-called "green list" for foreign travel, external, including Portugal.
People going to countries that appear on the green list do not need to quarantine on their return.
But those returning from the likes of Portugal will be asked to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for Covid in the days after they arrive home.
Twelve countries are on Northern Ireland's so-called "green list" for foreign travel, including Portugal
Brenda Cassidy runs Paddy's Irish Bar in Albufeira on Portugal's south coast with her husband and son.
She told Good Morning Ulster the business may not have survived losing a second holiday season to Covid-19.
"There's an awful lots of places that haven't made it through. If it kept going, there's only so many local people who can keep the local bars going. Maybe some of the bigger bars can afford to close, the small local ones [can't] so we have to have tourism."
England, Scotland and Wales have already implemented similar systems, with the first travellers heading off on holiday earlier this week.
Vaccine passports
People travelling from England who have had both Covid jabs can demonstrate their vaccination, external status via the NHS app or a letter.
However, the NHS app, external that proves a person is vaccinated so they can travel is incompatible with Northern Ireland's health and social care system, the NI Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed.
Speaking at Stormont on Thursday, outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster said the apps in England and Wales did not "speak to" the apps in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
She said a short-term "paper trail" solution was being considered to prove vaccination, adding: "That is not just a letter but you cannot just turn up with a letter that somebody from your office has typed out for you."
She said work was under way to have all apps in the UK connected.
A DoH spokesman said: "The NHS App uses information from NHS England computer systems.
"It is not directly compatible with NI Health and Social Care systems. Work is currently ongoing across the devolved administrations in regards to vaccine and testing certification, in order to support international travel when restrictions are eased."
DoH has set aside £3m in resources and a £1.5m capital allocation for Covid status certification, which includes digital ID.
A very limited number of countries are set to make NI's green list
Non-essential travel from Northern Ireland to other parts of the Common Travel Area (CTA) is to be allowed from Monday and people will not be required to isolate on return if they have visited family or friends in other parts of the area.
The CTA is the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
At Thursday's executive meeting, ministers also backed the attendance of spectators at outdoor sport events - up to 500 may be permitted.
Indoor household visits will also be allowed from that date, with six people from two households allowed at one time. Children under 12 do not count towards the total.
Overnight stays will also be allowed.
Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to trade indoors with a maximum of six people per table from a maximum of six households, or up to 10 people provided they are all from the same household.
Up to 1,000 fans will be able to attend the Irish Cup Final on Friday
Other measures easing from Monday include increased numbers permitted for indoor gatherings - not including domestic settings - to allow for community events such as mother-and-toddler groups to resume.
Up to 1,000 fans will also be allowed to attend Friday's Irish Cup final at Mourneview Park in Lurgan, County Armagh.
People in England, Scotland and Wales have been allowed to meet in each other's homes and enjoy indoor hospitality since Monday.
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