Coronavirus: Ministers warn against 'reckless' Christmas behaviour

Stormont ministers have appealed to people in NI not to "get caught up in the Christmas spirit" with Covid-19 lockdown restrictions set to be eased.

A two-week lockdown ends at 23:59 GMT, meaning hairdressers, shops and some hospitality businesses can reopen.

First Minister Arlene Foster urged people to be "sensible" about limiting their social contacts.

She said the executive was "disappointed" that transmission of the virus had not reduced significantly.

Another 14 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded by Northern Ireland's Department of Health on Thursday.

It brings the total number of deaths to 1,099. A further 441 people have also tested positive for the virus.

A further 15 deaths have been reported in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the country's total to 2,117.

There have been 75,203 confirmed cases of Covid-19 after another 310 were recorded.

Speaking at a press conference at Stormont, Mrs Foster said in the past week all 11 councils in Northern Ireland had seen a rise in the number of recorded cases of Covid-19.

She warned that an easing of restrictions did not mean "any easing of the need to follow public health guidelines".

"We are disappointed to see the number of hospital admissions where they are, people need to cut down their contacts and take personal responsibility," she added.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill warned: "If people want to have a nice Christmas, don't ruin it by being reckless over the next couple of weeks.

"We need people to be so careful, this is a crucial period."

Ministers said Northern Ireland's R-number - which measures the coronavirus infection rate - is around one.

R represents how many extra people each infected person passes the virus onto: the goal is to keep it below one.

Last week the executive was advised that if the R-number rises sharply in the next few weeks, restrictions would need to be reimposed before the new year.

Mrs Foster said just because restrictions were being eased, it did not mean people needed to take advantage of them.

The first minister added that Covid 'ambassadors' would be appearing on the High Streets to provide advice on queuing and ensuring people can safely shop in the run-up to Christmas.

While Ms O'Neill said she accepted that some businesses unable to open under the new regulations still faced challenges.

"We've tried to mitigate but it can't replace all the financial loss that businesses have experienced," she said, adding that she recognised it would not be enough for all those sectors affected.

With the easing of the restrictions, many hospitality businesses, including restaurants, cafes and hotels, can reopen their doors on Friday but must be closed at 23:00 each day.

Pubs that do not serve food will have to remain shut.

On Thursday night the NI Executive's new Covid-19 regulations were published.

The regulations, which come into force just before midnight on Thursday, provided further details on the latest rules.

They state that any food served must have been prepared "in a static and permanent kitchen on the premises of the bar, hotel, pub or club and which is eaten by a person seated at a table".

They also outline that every person who visits hospitality must provide their name and telephone number.

The end of the lockdown also means:

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said restrictions on visiting arrangements at prisons will be relaxed for Christmas.

However, she said a scheme to allow some prisoners leave to return home over the holiday season would remain paused to "help protect the entire prison community", with more than 2,000 virtual visits scheduled between now and the New Year.

"People in custody will also be able to receive Christmas packages from their loved ones, and additional support will be provided to those who remain in the care of the Prison Service," she added.

Bars that offer meals - that have been cooked in their own kitchen - can reopen from Friday, but the owners of some venues have decided to keep their premises closed until next year.

The family which owns Belfast's well-known Lavery's Bar and the Pavilion Bar said they made that decision "with the greatest regret".

"This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make and we are so sorry for any disappointment it causes," they added.

The owners of the John Hewitt Bar in the city said that although "this time of year is the time we look forward to the most" the safety measures the hospitality sector must adhere to under the terms of reopening were "just too heavy for us to operate".

Three bars in Omagh, County Tyrone, have also decided to remain closed after 11 December.

Bogan's, Sally's of Omagh and the Blind Cobbler, which all offer meals, said they would not be reopening for the festive period.

In a post on facebook, Bogan's said the decision was "incredibly difficult to make, but ultimately we feel this is the right thing to do, for the safety of our staff and for our customers".

The Blind Cobbler team said they realised the announcement would be "disheartening and disappointing", but looked "forward to brighter times ahead".

Sally's said it looked forward to 2021 "when we can reopen and provide everyone with a night out free from restrictions".

Ciaran Breslin, who owns the Primrose café on the Quay in Londonderry, has said he, like many other businesses in the city, has a number of safety measures in place in order to re-open safely on Friday.

"Like all hospitality industries and restaurants we make customer safety the number one focus.

"We have made it a really safe environment and it will be fantastic to have the doors back open again.

"There is 2m distancing, we have got screens in place, track and trace in place, sanitiser stations, and we have all customers and staff wearing face coverings," Mr Breslin said.

The Derry business owner said he cannot rule out any potential future closures and said he can only focus on the here and now.

"We will take it every day as it comes, we have pivoted a few times and all we can do is make a safe environment for our staff and our customers."