The Northern Ireland Executive is set to meet tomorrow (Thursday 20 January) to discuss the ongoing response locally to the coronavirus pandemic, but ahead of the meeting First Minister Paul Givan has confirmed a change to self-isolation rules.
From Friday (21 January) the First Minister stated the Department of Health has said the minimum self isolation period in Northern Ireland will reduce from seven days to five.
“Today I’ve been engaging with colleagues and officials on what Covid measures can be lifted at tomorrow’s Executive. I’m hopeful we can make progress.”
The move on self-isolation follows changes in England where the new guidance was implemented on Monday (17 January) allowing those who gave tested positive for the virus to leave quarantine after five full days providing they test negative on day five and six.
It is hoped the change will help to ease the impact and challenges faced across the United Kingdom by businesses and organisations dealing with staff shortages, recently heightened by the ongoing effects of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.
The UK Government today announced a series of relaxations to restrictions in England. Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said England was reverting to "Plan A" due to boosters and how people had followed Plan B measures.
The PM went on to confirm the following changes for England:
• Mandatory Covid passports for entering nightclubs and large events would end, though organisations could choose to use the NHS Covid pass if they wished. • People would no longer be advised to work from home and should discuss their return to offices with employers.
• Face masks will no longer be mandated, though people are still advised to wear coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces and when meeting strangers.
• From Thursday, secondary school pupils will no longer have to wear face masks in classrooms and government guidance on their use in communal areas would be removed "shortly".
The latest data for the whole of the United Kingdom was presented this evening in a Downing Street press conference (data slides below).
Love Ballymena will bring you any announcements from the NI Executive, relevant to Northern Ireland, as it becomes available on Thursday.