Forex Trading For Beginners 2021: Covid-19: NI under tough new lockdown measures

Tougher new Covid-19 restrictions are in place across Northern Ireland as a two-week circuit breaker takes effect.

Non-essential retailers have been told to close except for click-and-collect services. Cafes and restaurants can only provide a take-away service.

Close-contact services such as hairdressers and beauty salons have also had to shut their doors.

The

restrictions came into force at 00:01 GMT on Friday and will be in place until 00:01 on 11 December.

It means Northern Ireland will revert to similar measures introduced in March, with the exception of schools remaining open.

Garden centres, supermarkets and homeware stores are exempt from closing under the new regulations.

In Northern Ireland, there have been 962 coronavirus-related deaths.

On Thursday, the Department of Health reported eight deaths and 442 new positive cases of Covid-19.

It is hoped the measures, announced by the Stormont Executive, will help control the spread of coronavirus and bring the reproduction (R) number down ahead of the Christmas period.

On Thursday, First Minister Arlene Foster said R number in Northern Ireland was "just below 1", but the two-week circuit breaker was "crucial... so that we can all have the safest and the happiest Christmas possible".

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said it was important to reduce the transmission rate to "as low as possible" and "do everything possible to limit the number of people you come into contact with".

NI Covid-19 restrictions: Your Questions Answered

The run-up to the festive period is traditionally the busiest time of the year for the businesses affected by the latest lockdown and the decision has been criticised by retailers and the groups which represent them.

Lisa and Peter Mahaffey own a gift shop in Bangor, County Down.

They extended their opening hours this week to cope with the big rise in customers attempting to beat both the lockdown and the Christmas rush.

But they say the new rules over what constitutes essential retail are confusing as a large proportion of the items sold in the shop are homeware.

"All the big retailers like Sainsbury's and Tesco don't close, but they sell the same stuff that we sell. We don't know where we really stand," said Mr Mahaffey.

He thinks the other main issue is the timing of the move by Stormont.

"They would have been much better closing us at the beginning of November and letting us re-open now with the run-in to Christmas," he said.

"This is our busiest time of the year. The main time is just being taken away from us."

Moving goalposts

The owner of a sandwich and coffee bar in Crossgar, Cecelia McCarthy, says the closures are disappointing but she is thankful the business can still operate as a takeaway.

"I think of the barbers across the street, I think of the nail salon and the hairdressers who are beside me and they are all closing up", she said.

After a busy week, she is worried about what will happen in two weeks time when the current Stormont restrictions are due come to an end.

"You are doubting whether you will get open again, the way they keep moving the goalposts", she said.

Ms McCarthy said she will not put any plans in place because, on two occasions during the pandemic, she has had to take hundreds of pounds worth of food to a homeless shelter to stop it going to waste.

Hairdresser Bridgeen King said it was "impossible" to keep opening and closing her Castlewellan salon.

She said it was "soul destroying" to find out they would only be able to reopen for a week before closing again.

Close-contact services only re-opened last Friday, after being closed since 17 October.

"You are doing two-months work in a week to get everybody booked up," said Ms King.

"I have worked 12-hour shifts since Sunday.

"I am totally exhausted at this stage of the game - but you do it because they are your clients."

'Plan B'

The doors may be closed to customers, but Christmas stock deliveries are still arriving at shops.

Jenny Doherty, from a book shop shop in Londonderry, is not sure if online sales will be enough to clear that stock and pay the suppliers.

She is not sure yet what the financial hit will be and she said not having customers coming in at this time of year is "frightening".

She added: "Books aren't perishable. There will be a plan B, but I do worry."

Florist Penny Hamilton is also trialling a click-and-collect service at her east Belfast shop, but is worried it will not suit some of her older customers.

"They are used to coming in and being able to smell all the flowers and see all the colours," she said.

"Unfortunately, there is a generation that maybe don't understand, or even have, mobile phones, so it's difficult for them."

'Uphill struggle'

Toys and games are a big seller at this time of the year, but the high street shops which stock them already face tough competition from online retailers.

Gareth Richardson is well aware of the danger that poses for his Bangor-based business which is only able to offer a click-and-collect service from Friday.