Northern Ireland

Coronavirus: Garden centres and recycling facilities to reopen on Monday, as R rate drops below 0.7

Recycling centres are to reopen from Monday. Picture by Mal McCann
Recycling centres are to reopen from Monday. Picture by Mal McCann Recycling centres are to reopen from Monday. Picture by Mal McCann

Garden centres and household recycling facilities will reopen from Monday, First Minister Arlene Foster has said.

Marriage ceremonies involving someone who is suffering from a terminal illness will also be allowed from next week.

Ministers in the executive discussed the plan today.

[ READ MORE: Coronavirus: How the north's lockdown will be eased ]

Mrs Foster, who revealed Northern Ireland's infection rate (R rate) had dropped to below 0.7, said the announcement represented "very tentative first steps toward recovery".

The R rate is the number of people an infected person passes the disease to.

"It is important that everyone understands that the process of relaxing restrictions will be incremental and there won't be a dramatic shift in relation to the lifting of restrictions," said Mrs Foster.

Deaths among those who have tested positive for coronavirus rose to 454 today, after a further five fatalities were announced.

The north's lockdown exit plan sets out a five-step process but does not assign projected dates for any of the stages.

"We hope to reveal more about the implementation of stage one on Monday," said Mrs Foster.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the changes had been informed by medical and scientific advice.

"Every decision is carefully judged on an evaluation of risk and potential benefits," she said.

 Shop assistant Naomi Ferguson holding two potted plants while wearing a face guard at Hillmount Garden Centre on the outskirts of Belfast. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association
 Shop assistant Naomi Ferguson holding two potted plants while wearing a face guard at Hillmount Garden Centre on the outskirts of Belfast. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association  Shop assistant Naomi Ferguson holding two potted plants while wearing a face guard at Hillmount Garden Centre on the outskirts of Belfast. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association

Ms O'Neill said the executive would "move towards step one" of the exit plan on Monday.

The move comes after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Republic would also begin stage one of its plans to come out of lockdown on Monday.

In phase one of the Republic's roadmap, people are still being encouraged to stay at home as much as they can. 

But up to four people who don’t live in the same household will be allowed to meet outdoors, as long as they stick to social distancing.

People who are over 70 must still cocoon in their homes.

Garden centres, hardware stores and farmers’ markets in the Republic can reopen, as well as other shops including homeware stores, opticians and phone retailers.