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Coronavirus: Ministers to publish lockdown recovery plan Coronavirus: NI Executive publishes plan for easing lockdown
(about 3 hours later)
The executive is to publish a five-stage plan later on Tuesday for easing lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland. A five-stage plan for easing the Covid-19 lockdown in Northern Ireland has been published by the executive.
For days, the parties have been holding detailed discussions about how and when some restrictions could be lifted. Unlike plans announced in England and the Republic of Ireland, NI's blueprint does not include a timetable for moving from one step to the next.
The blueprint will be revealed to the assembly by the first and deputy first ministers at 11:30 BST. Progression will depend on when certain public health criteria is met, say ministers.
Each step of the plan will be "incremental and cautious", ministers have already stressed. The first step includes changes to rules on exercise and allowing churches to open for private prayer.
On Monday, Downing Street published a conditional plan to ease lockdown, but it mostly applies only in England. The document, entitled Executive Approach to Decision-Making, is being outlined in the assembly by the first and deputy first ministers.
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own powers to set and lift restrictions at different rates. 'Be patient'
'Sufficient flexibility' Movement between stages will depend on progress in reducing the transmission of the virus, said First Minister Arlene Foster.
In England, Boris Johnson has placed projected dates next to several phases of easing the lockdown, but Stormont ministers have insisted this should not happen in Northern Ireland. "We will not take a set in stone approach if there are things we can do better and do differently," she said.
The executive wants "sufficient flexibility" to allow it to make modifications in line with scientific advice, as opposed to setting dates that may need to be pushed back, if there is another spike in cases. "We will not be driven by a timetable and we know some will be disappointed by that - but our roadmap doesn't answer every query, it provides people with an indication of how things might move in the weeks and months ahead."
Ministers have already extended the lockdown in Northern Ireland until 28 May, so the earliest the recovery plan is likely to come into effect is the beginning of June. "Step one" of the pathway to Recovery
On Monday, Sinn Féin junior minister Declan Kearney said the coronavirus regulations would continue to be reviewed on a three-week cycle and that any amendments would be informed by: Read the full document
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill appealed to the public to "be patient".
"When we're in position to slowly and carefully move out of the lockdown, we will keep you updated every step of the way," she added.
"It's not in the too-distant future, if people keep following the advice."
Northern Ireland has its own powers to set and lift restrictions at different rates than in the rest of the UK.
The executive must review the coronavirus regulations every three weeks, with the next due by 28 May.
In some reviews, no changes may be recommended but the roadmap will be flexible and each process of review will not be linked to the next step of relaxations.
The blueprint says the executive will only decide to relax restrictions when "it is sure it is in the long term interest of the health and wellbeing" of the population.
Ms O'Neill said controlling the rate of transmission of the virus was "absolutely critical", and required before restrictions could be relaxed.
"We need to have in place testing, tracking and tracing arrangements to enable us to safely lift the restrictions," she added.
Why does the R-rate matter?Why does the R-rate matter?
As the infection has spread at different rates in various parts of the UK, Stormont ministers have said Northern Ireland must follow its own criteria and scientific advice.As the infection has spread at different rates in various parts of the UK, Stormont ministers have said Northern Ireland must follow its own criteria and scientific advice.
The R-value - or reproduction number - is at the heart of the executive's decision to extend the lockdown until at least the end of May.The R-value - or reproduction number - is at the heart of the executive's decision to extend the lockdown until at least the end of May.
The R-number shows how many people will get infected for every one person who gets ill.The R-number shows how many people will get infected for every one person who gets ill.
In Northern Ireland, the R-rate is sitting just below one, at 0.8-0.9, and the executive has said it must remain at a low level before restrictions can begin to be lifted.In Northern Ireland, the R-rate is sitting just below one, at 0.8-0.9, and the executive has said it must remain at a low level before restrictions can begin to be lifted.
Will anything in NI change this week?
DUP junior minister Gordon Lyons has already stressed there will be "no dramatic lifting" of any measures in Northern Ireland any time soon.
There may be some minor changes announced by the executive that could take effect this week, on issues such as outdoor exercise and potentially some churches being allowed to facilitate individual prayer.
Other parts of the UK have already changed their advice around exercise, but in Northern Ireland the current advice remains to only exercise once a day by yourself or with your household.
From Wednesday, people in England will also be allowed to meet one person from outside their household as long as they stay outdoors and stay 2m apart.
There are also questions about how the Republic of Ireland's recovery plan fits with what the NI Executive will announce.
The Irish government had already announced a five-stage detailed plan for bringing the Republic of Ireland slowly out of lockdown, beginning on 18 May.
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland share a 310-mile long border that many people cross each day for work or leisure.
At the start of the lockdown, it emerged that gardaí (Irish police) had been informed they had no enforcement powers over people from Northern Ireland, who may have breached Covid-19 regulations in the Republic of Ireland.