Covid-19: Stormont Executive limits NI Christmas bubbles to one day

Reuters

The Stormont Executive has agreed that Christmas bubbles in Northern Ireland should be limited to one day.

Ministers met remotely on Sunday night to discuss the new coronavirus variant and Christmas rules.

In a statement, the Executive said there is to be flexibility around which day between 23 and 27 December people come together to accommodate those who have to work on Christmas Day,

The meeting also focused on travel from GB to NI, but nothing was agreed.

The Republic and a number of European countries have begun to impose travel bans on the UK.

BBC News NI understands that Sinn Féin proposed prohibiting travel from Great Britain into Northern Ireland and said it should be a matter of priority.

However, the DUP's position was that anyone living in the areas most affected by the new variant have been placed under Tier 4 restrictions and are not meant to travel.

The planned relaxation of Covid-19 rules in England, Scotland and Wales was cut from the previously agreed five days to just one on Saturday.

It wouldn't be Stormont without a Christmas crisis - of sorts.

Ministers know that the Christmas promises they made to people have to be broken - and there was an acknowledgment around the virtual executive table that they will face a backlash.

But leading in a pandemic means governments can't always be popular - and decisions the executive may have to take in the next 24 hours on travel into NI could cause even greater upset.

A new six-week lockdown for Northern Ireland, coming into force at 00:01 GMT on 26 December, was announced on Thursday.

After restrictions were tightened in the rest of the UK, a statement from the first, deputy first and health ministers urged people to "think seriously about their plans for Christmas, and to now consider limiting their coming together to Christmas Day only".

On Sunday, four of the five main Stormont parties asked for an urgent executive meeting.

Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance sent a joint letter to the first and deputy first ministers asking to meet.

In the letter, the parties said they must satisfy themselves that the regulations and restrictions over Christmas and the six-week lockdown from 26 December are "sufficiently robust" to safeguard public health.

It is understood health minister and UUP member Robin Swann sent a separate letter with similar concerns.

The health minister is to give a statement in the assembly at midday on Monday.

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December 21, 2020 at 02:55PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55390371