Covid-19: NI Executive to relax travel isolation rules

People who have been fully vaccinated in the EU or the US will not need to self-isolate when entering Northern Ireland from Monday.

This easing of the Covid-19 travel rules is in line with changes made in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Northern Ireland Executive also decided to allow international cruises to restart from 31 July.

Students arriving from red-list countries will be put into managed isolation facilities.

The pilot rollout for the expansion of the amber listed countries vaccinations policy is due to start on Monday 2 August.

It means all those coming from the US or from EU countries (except France) will not have to isolate.

There was also agreement that Villarreal football fans coming to Belfast for next month's Uefa Super Cup final against Chelsea would not have to self-isolate.

The executive has also agreed the 1m (3ft) social distancing regulation will be applied in indoor settings such as supermarkets and shopping centres from 18:00 BST on Friday 30 July.

The 1m rule remains as guidance outdoors.

It was also agreed that function rooms and community halls can put on live music from 30 July.

Plans to reopen conferences and exhibitions have been delayed - that will be considered in August.

A final decision to drop the wearing of masks in schools has also been delayed although earlier this month ministers said the wearing of face coverings may just be regarded as guidance when schools return.

Since last August, post-primary pupils and teachers have been required to wear face coverings in school corridors and other communal areas.

More discussions will take place between officials the Department of Health and the Department of Education.

The proposals to ease restrictions at borders were discussed against a backdrop of increasing coronavirus-related pressures in Northern Ireland's hospitals.

On Wednesday, BBC News NI reported that some cancer surgeries in Belfast were being cancelled in order to expand the number of staff caring for Covid-19 patients.

The rule change on travel - which will come into force in England, Scotland and Wales from 04:00 on Monday - applies to people who have had both jabs of a vaccine approved by the EU or the US.

Travellers will still need to take either a lateral flow or a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test pre-departure and a PCR test on the second day after they arrive.

Under-18s will be exempt from isolation and some will not have to test, depending on their age.

The Department of Health confirmed its Covid certification service for people travelling abroad will resume on Friday morning after it was "temporarily interrupted" by a technical problem.

The interim system allows people from Northern Ireland to prove they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to countries which require it for entry.

However, the service went offline on Tuesday, leaving many people concerned about their travel plans.

On Thursday, the department said the system would go online again from 09:00 on Friday and should only be used by those travelling on Sunday 1 August "in the first instance".

With the app still not available, applications can only be made online through the NIdirect website.

Applications would be processed manually, the department added, with applicants contacted by email in response.

The department said it was resuming the service in a "controlled and phased way" and explained that "further communication" would be issued on Friday in relation to people travelling after Sunday.

On Thursday, another 1,471 positive coronavirus cases were reported by the Department of Health - down from 1,600 on Tuesday.

That includes samples taken in recent days, not necessarily in the past 24 hours.

Two more Covid-19-related deaths were also reported.

Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride urged people to use the health service wisely.

Earlier this week the executive agreed that theatres and concert venues could reopen, after initially delaying its decision.

On Monday, as well as agreeing to the reopening of theatres and concert venues, ministers backed further modest changes to the restrictions, including: