Coronavirus: Stormont ministers agree more lockdown easing
Coronavirus: Single people in NI can stay indoors with loved ones
(about 2 hours later)
The executive has met to discuss whether more lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland can be lifted.
People living alone in NI will be able to stay at one other household as part of further easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Economy Minister Diane Dodds said the executive had agreed shopping centres can reopen from Friday.
First Minister Arlene Foster announced that, from Saturday, single adults can spend the night at another house in a "support bubble".
Small retailers had already been given the green light by the executive to open on 12 June.
The executive agreed to the move to "minimise the impact of loneliness and isolation".
A further coronavirus-related death has been recorded in Northern Ireland. The total number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health stands at 538.
The relaxation does not apply to those who are shielding.
This figure is mostly focused on hospital deaths and where patients tested positive for the virus.
The executive met on Thursday and agreed to lift a number of lockdown measures, because the R-number - which measures the rate of infection - is currently estimated as being between 0.5 and 0.9.
A total of four more people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total to 4,822, according to the department's dashboard.
Mrs Foster said ministers could not yet commit to allowing people who do not live alone to visit family and friends indoors, but said the executive will revisit that on Monday to see if it can "take another step forward".
Ministers have also been looking at the possibility of letting people have more contact with family and friends.
"We're conscious people want more and if the science allows it on Monday, we will revisit it," said Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill.
They discussed the "social bubble" concept, used successfully in New Zealand.
'Desire to return to normal'
On Monday, First Minister Arlene Foster said she regretted that the executive has not been able to allow people to visit others indoors yet.
The measures, announced at the Stormont daily press briefing, also include:
Mrs Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill are due to announce more details at the executive's daily press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Ministers recognised there was a "strong desire to return to normal life", said Mrs Foster.
What else has the executive been discussing?
Ms O'Neill said work was under way to see if the executive could, from next week, begin to provide indicative dates for other sectors to reopen.
Ministers have moved from the response phase of the pandemic to the recovery phase, and their meeting focused on a strategic overview for helping all sectors to regain some sense of normality.
Northern Ireland's five-stage recovery blueprint did not include a timetable for reopening, with ministers saying they would not be calendar-led.
As parts of the retail sector prepare to open on Friday, so long as the transmission of the virus has remained low, ministers have agreed that shopping centres should be able to reopen.
However, the executive now wants to be able to "signpost" to people that they should get ready, added Mrs Foster.
However, concerns have been raised about a lack of clear guidance for the childcare sector, as more people with children prepare to return to work.
The executive also discussed that issue and Department of Health panels are expected to meet on Thursday to assess when certain childcare centres can open.
It is understood Agriculture and Environment Minister Edwin Poots intended to raise the issue of restrictions on numbers of people permitted to attend funerals - currently limited to 10.
Ministers were also due to discuss bringing forward the date for hotels and hospitality businesses to reopen in Northern Ireland.
In the Republic of Ireland, the industry has been given a date of 29 June to reopen.
The executive has said hotels can reopen in Northern Ireland from 20 July, but no date has been announced for pubs or restaurants yet.
On Monday, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon brought a paper to the executive about whether face coverings on public transport should be made mandatory.
In England, the measure will take effect from 15 June.
While face coverings are recommended in Northern Ireland on public transport and in shops where social distancing is not possible, the Stormont executive has not yet taken a decision on whether to make it compulsory.
What is the social bubble model?
A bubble is defined as an exclusive group of people with whom you have close physical contact, this can be friends or family.
Members of a bubble would be able to visit one another in their homes, but it would still be important to limit the risk of chains of transmission.
If Household A merges with Household B, Household B could not also link up with another group - Household C - because this would create a chain that could allow the virus to spread widely.
The bubble concept has already been used in New Zealand and is now being adopted in England, where from Saturday, single adults can spend the night at another house in a "support bubble".
Stormont ministers have asked health officials for advice on whether the measure could be adopted in Northern Ireland.
Why does the R-number matter?
The executive has warned that people's behaviour over the next few weeks will determine whether lockdown-easing steps continue, are halted, or are reversed, depending on how the R value is affected.
The R-number, or reproduction number, is the average number of people that one coronavirus-infected person will pass the virus on to.
Last week, the Department of Health said it estimated the R-number in Northern Ireland is currently between 0.7 and 0.9, enabling ministers to move ahead with lifting some restrictions.
