SELF-isolation rules for people who come into close contact with positive Covid-19 cases are to be relaxed from Monday, the executive has agreed.
Ministers agreed on Thursday to bring the north into line with rule changes agreed in the rest of the UK, meaning those who have come into contact with a positive case will no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days if they have had both vaccine doses and test negative.
PCR tests will still be recommended on day two and day eight after coming into close contact with a positive case, and for those who test positive this way they will be required to self-isolate, even if presenting no symptoms of infection.
The limit on the number of people allowed to meet outdoors and in gardens will also be scrapped, along with the 'rule of six' regarding the number of people allowed to sit together at hospitality venues and at wedding receptions.
Ministers have said that exhibition and conference events can also resume, but nightclubs are to remain closed.
However, the advice from the executive about working from home where possible is remaining unchanged for now, while rules on face coverings and indoor social distancing are also staying, with people advised to remain a minimum of one metre apart.
It is understood that decisions on further relaxations could be made in the first week of September.
Deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill said the decisions taken by the executive were "cautious" and "proportionate" to the current high infection rates in the north.
"Hopefully what we've done today is to demonstrate that with the public support we're continuing to make progress," she told reporters yesterday.
"We're not there yet but we're certainly getting there and we're hoping that we'll start to see a fall in the number of positive cases daily over the coming weeks."
The decision to relax current restrictions was welcomed by Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts, who said: "This move will provide relief to a significant number of our members who are on the verge of restricting opening hours and are running short on several product ranges.
"Many of these member stores, provide food and other vital products to vulnerable and older members of our community, particularly in rural areas."
