Among the changes will be marriages and civil partnerships being allowed outside, with the number of people attending limited to 10, while those who are shielding will be able to spend time outside with people from their own household or a person from another household whilst ensuring social distancing is observed.
Outdoor sports facilities will also be permitted to reopen, more businesses and shops can return and the Executive also confirmed that hotels here can reopen from July 20.
The changes had been provisionally announced last week and were dependent on many variables, including the R-rate in Northern Ireland.
For the first time, the Department of Health here has published the R-rate, and it intends to do that every week. The current estimate of R is 0.7 – 0.9 enabling the Executive decision today to ease some restrictions. Everyone will be encouraged by these restrictions being lifted and hopefully there will be further relaxation in the weeks to come if the infection rate remains under control.
Stay safe Alistair Bushe, Editor
If you receive this email as a subscriber thank you for supporting us. If you are a registered reader on our site you can further help us continue to produce quality journalism that matters. Digital subscription to the News Letter are available on www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions and pay just £1 for the first three months Coronavirus news update:
Northern Ireland: One more person with coronavirus has died in Northern Ireland, taking the total recorded by the Department of Health to 535. There have been another 33 confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total since the outbreak began to 4,773.
England: NHS England has announced 115 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 27,159.
Wales: Public Health Wales said a further eight people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths in Wales to 1,379.
Scotland: A total of 2,395 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by nine from 2,386 on Wednesday, Nicola Sturgeon said.
Ireland: Ireland's coronavirus death toll rose to 1,659 on Wednesday after a further three fatalities were announced.
You have received this email as you have an account on the News Letter, published by JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. To manage your individual newsletter preferences with us, please click here and log in to your account.
Alternatively you can update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive from JPIMedia Publishing Ltd, or unsubscribe from all future emails.
JPIMedia Publishing Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with registered number 11499982, having its registered address at Third Floor, 1 King William Street, London, England, EC4N 7AF, United Kingdom.
We will process your personal data in accordance with our privacy policy.
