Stormont ministers have delayed final decisions on the majority of Covid-19 relaxations proposed for Northern Ireland next week.
Ministers gave the green light to two further relaxations at a meeting today but stopped short of ratifying a series of other planned moves.
From Monday, a cap limiting the number of households allowed to participate in 15-person outdoor gatherings will be removed and close contact services, such as hairdressers, will be able to accept walk-in customers.
Deputy First Minister @moneillsf says the executive has made some “modest” changes to coronavirus restrictions.
— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 22, 2021
From Monday, we’ll no longer need an appointment for close contact services and 15 people from any number of households can meet outdoors. pic.twitter.com/lIyeMsbG3E
It is understood ministers have agreed to meet again on Monday and Thursday to consider whether to press ahead with other relaxations that had originally been earmarked for next week.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the decisions represented "modest" progress.
"I'm pleased to say that we've been able to make some progress, some modest changes have been made on two key areas," she told reporters in Coalisland, Co Tyrone.
"We're going to come back on Monday for more decisions to be made and again on Thursday, so we're going to continue to make steady progress but I think it's important to say that we're making these decisions in the context of an increase, a rapid increase in the number of cases but also, alongside that, in the last eight days we've seen the doubling of the number of people in hospitals.
"So a cautious approach I think is what's required here, a steady approach, continuing to make progress bit by bit. And hopefully the public will take some comfort around what we've seen today."
Ms O'Neill insisted the vaccine remained Northern Ireland's "best defence" and urged more people to come forward for their jabs.
She said Stormont's health advisers would have more data around the link between positive cases and hospital admissions next week.
"That's what's crucially important here," she added.
"So when they have that information we'll be in a better place to take the decisions around what we can ease.
"So I would like to think that by Monday we'll be able to potentially make a fresh set of decisions and then Thursday we'd be able to follow that up as well."
On Monday, ministers will consider whether to give the green light to steps considered to be moderate risk.
These include allowing theatres and concert halls to welcome back audiences – with some mitigation measures in place – and increasing the limit on gatherings in indoor domestic settings from six to 10, from no more than three households.
Ministers will also consider whether to lift current restrictions on MoT test centres.
If the Executive agrees to those measures, it is understood they would come into effect immediately on Monday.
Ministers are due to receive updated health data ahead of their deliberations on Monday.
On Thursday next week, ministers are due to consider measures thought to be of higher risk.
These include lifting restrictions on indoor live music, including a proposal to end a requirement for the sound to be kept to an ambient level.
The resumption of conferences and exhibitions will also be considered.
Ministers will also at that point examine a proposal to end social distancing requirements for outdoor activities and reduce the distance to one metre for indoor settings.
The legal requirement on wearing face coverings in places of worship is also set to be reviewed next week.
At this week’s scheduled Executive meeting, ministers were alerted to the importance of improving Northern Ireland’s vaccination rates.
They were told a 5% increase in uptake of the first dose from 85% to 90% would result in a 50% decrease in cases and hospital admissions at the peak of the current wave of infections.
A further 1,430 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Northern Ireland today.
No further deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for the virus were notified.
This morning there were 162 Covid-19 positive patients in hospital, with 10 in intensive care.
