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Vulnerable people in NI who were advised to shield can now go outdoors, as part of lockdown measures lifted by the executive.

Large retailers, including car showrooms and shops in retail parks, can also reopen, and outdoor weddings with 10 people present can take place.

The moves were announced last week by ministers and take effect on Monday.

The executive will meet later to discuss whether more steps from its recovery plan can be implemented.

Pressure is building on Stormont ministers to name a reopening date for all retailers.

On Sunday, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill told RTÉ News that she sees the reopening of smaller retailers like shoe and clothes shops as another important step on the road to recovery.

Mrs O'Neill said these smaller stores should not be left at a competitive disadvantage.

"We have an inbuilt flexibility to respond to the conditions on any given day and I am hopeful that at our executive meeting tomorrow, we will able to make more progress for our retail sector," she said.

Over the weekend, Economy Minister Diane Dodds also made it clear she supports an acceleration in the process of restarting the economy.

Mrs Dodds told the Belfast Telegraph she wants health officials to provide advice on the risks associated with reducing the current recommended two metre social distancing rule to one metre.

The issue of making face coverings compulsory on public transport is also likely to be discussed by the executive.

From Monday, restrictions for some visitors entering Northern Ireland come into force, with anyone entering from outside the Common Travel Area having to self-isolate for 14 days.

The Common Travel Area covers the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Leaving isolation prematurely could result in a fine of up to £1,000.

The executive has warned that people's behaviour over the next few weeks will determine whether lockdown-easing steps continue, are halted, or are reversed, depending on how the R value is affected.

The R-number, or reproduction number, is the average number of people that one coronavirus-infected person will pass the virus on to.

The Department of Health said it estimated the R-number in Northern Ireland is currently between 0.7 and 0.9, enabling ministers to move ahead with lifting restrictions.

It will now publish the R-number every Thursday.

The executive's five-step Pathway to Recovery does not include a timetable for each of the phases, but aspects of different steps of the Pathway to Recovery will likely take effect at the same time.

Measures permitted from Monday in Northern Ireland include:

• About 80,000 people advised to shield can go outdoors with their household; or if they live alone they can meet one person from another household;
• Small weddings and civil partnership ceremonies permitted outdoors, with no more than 10 people present;
• Hotels can take advance bookings, ahead of a planned reopening on 20 July;
• Outdoor sports facilities reopen;
• People can leave home to attend to the needs or welfare of an animal - for example to access a range of services, including dog grooming;
• Large non-food retailers can reopen, including car showrooms, electrical shops and phone shops.

Ministers have stressed that people and businesses must still adhere to physical distancing rules, by staying 2m (6ft) apart.

People in Northern Ireland who received a letter from their GP advising them to self-isolate can now go outdoors for the first time in almost 12 weeks.

The restriction has already been lifted in England and Wales.

The executive said it had decided to allow this because it recognised the strain of the pandemic on people's mental health.

However, it has warned that vulnerable people must continue to protect themselves, and stay at home where possible.

The Republic of Ireland also begins the next phase of lifting its lockdown on Monday.

It will allow people to visit each other indoors or outdoors in groups of up to six, and extends the travel limit to anywhere inside their own county.

If they live in a border area they will also be able to travel up to 20km into another county.

The Stormont Executive has said the scientific evidence it has been receiving means it cannot yet allow people in Northern Ireland to visit others indoors.

Why does the R-number matter?

As R refers to the average number of people that someone with Covid-19 is expected to infect, the goal is to keep R below one to prevent the spread of the virus.

Prof Ian Young, the chief scientific adviser, said there are a number of other factors guiding officials.

For example, the number of daily new cases needs to be low in order for contact tracing, testing and isolating to work properly, he said.

The number of hospital admissions and critical care patients is being closely monitored as well, to ensure the R-number is kept low.