Stormont ministers have agreed new Covid-19 restrictions for Northern Ireland that will see an extension of the current circuit-break lockdown followed by a partial reopening of the hospitality sector, Stormont sources have said.
PA understands that the DUP, UUP and Alliance voted for the proposals.
Sinn Fein voted against and the SDLP abstained.
The meeting is understood to have included some fractious exchanges between Sinn Fein and DUP ministers.
PA understands that at one point DUP First Minister Arlene Foster told her Sinn Fein counterparts: “I won’t be taking any lectures from Sinn Fein on excess deaths.”
It is understood the partial reopening of the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland next Friday will include:
– Close contact services, including hairdressing, beauty treatments and driving lessons, resuming on November 20 by appointment only.
– Unlicensed premises, including cafes and coffee shops, reopening on November 20. Restricted opening hours to 8pm. No alcohol can be consumed in these premises.
– All other sections of hospitality that have been closed during the circuit-break will open on November 27.
– Pubs and bars permitted to sell sealed off-sales from November 20.
Stormont deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill told the BBC’s Newsline programme a two-week extension would potentially have brought them to the other side of Christmas before new measures had to be reintroduced.
“We potentially are coming back to this situation again before Christmas.
“This is not a position that any of us want to be in.”
The Sinn Fein vice-president said Stormont chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride’s advice was very clear and stark.
“To do anything other than a two-week extension would cause excess death.
“I in all good conscience could not support a proposal that falls short of that.”
She said it was a “challenging” time for the Stormont Executive’s five parties.
“I am appalled at the actions of the DUP this week, to use a cross-community vote when they did not get their own way.”
PA understands the paper agreed by the Executive also commits to:
– Provide support to hospitality sector to introduce mitigations to reduce risk, such as ventilation systems and contact tracing recording;
– Roll out vaccinations from as early as possible, potentially in December, for priority groups;
– Continue preparations for introduction of rapid testing;
– Additional financial support for affected businesses;
– A compliance working group to improve adherence to the regulations.
Update: I didn’t seek the last four days but a fair and balanced agreement reached with the support of the Health Minister. pic.twitter.com/6U2jVD5vYw
— Arlene Foster #We’llMeetAgain (@DUPleader) November 12, 2020
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: “Today the Executive agreed to a two-week extension of the regulations with coffee shops, cafes and close contact services opening a week earlier.
A Sinn Féin source said the party voted against the proposals because it ran contrary to the advice from Stormont’s medical and scientific advisers to extend the circuit-break in its entirety for two weeks.
It is understood health minister Robin Swann backed the proposal as a way to avoid all the regulations lapsing at midnight on Friday.
Sinn Féin had the chance in the Executive to block this by deploying their own veto, just as the DUP deployed its veto to block two proposals earlier in the week - but for whatever reason, Michelle O'Neill chose not to do so.
— Sam McBride (@SJAMcBride) November 12, 2020
DUP economy minister Diane Dodds said the public had endured enough of politicians wrangling.
She told BBC Newsline: “What we have to do is bring certainty to people in their lives in the run up to Christmas.
“We have tried to bring forward a proposal that is balanced and proportionate and that the health minister supported.
“That is the only way forward for an Executive of five parties.”
She said poverty caused by economic inactivity was also a terrible thing to inflict.
“It will also cause death, distress and mental health issues.”
She said it was not her intention to return to the same situation before Christmas.
“No matter what we do or do not do, there may be need for further interventions at a further stage, maybe even before Christmas.
“The virus is new and unpredictable and difficult to work with.
“We have to make sure that there is a pathway for people to earn their living and put food on the table and that we learn to live with the restrictions of this virus.”
Health Minister Robin Swann said: “It is no secret that I wanted a different outcome from the Executive. However, the decision today is preferable to restrictions falling and all hospitality opening this weekend. I could not countenance the consequences of that happening."
And he added: “I appreciate the frustrations voiced publicly in recent days by members of the business community. I share many of them. To anyone in hospitality who is threatening to re-open in breach of the regulations, I would say think again. There are moral as well as legal obligations here – especially with regards to the safety of customers and staff.”
The fourth meeting in four days started just after 4pm on Thursday afternoon, hours after it emerged that businesses had been given the wrong deadline for the end of the current circuit-break lockdown.
The Department of Health said it had received “revised legal advice” that regulations forcing the closure of many hospitality businesses expires at midnight on Friday, 24 hours later than the department had previously understood.
The development has added to the frustration of business owners already angry at the lack of clarity over whether they will be able to reopen when the restrictions expire.
The deaths of another 15 people with Covid-19 were announced on Thursday, along with 548 new confirmed cases of the virus.
Ministers were at loggerheads, with three proposals on the executive’s next pandemic response being voted down during fractious exchanges within the powersharing administration.
The compromise plan was put forward by Alliance Party leader Naomi Long.
