Coronavirus: NI ministers to discuss easing more restrictions

Stormont ministers will meet later to decide whether more of Northern Ireland's Covid-19 restrictions can be relaxed on 26 July.

BBC News NI understands that is the new indicative date being proposed for theatres and conference halls to reopen.

The requirement for face coverings to be worn in places of worship could also be removed then.

The proposals would need to be ratified at an executive meeting on 22 July.

The plans set for discussion at Thursday's executive meeting mean that Northern Ireland will not directly follow the approach Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined for England.

He announced on Monday that masks would no longer be required and social distancing rules would be scrapped for England at the final stage of his government's plan.

That stage is expected to be 19 July after a review of the latest Covid-19 data on Monday.

However, some Stormont ministers including Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin had already said Northern Ireland would "not be following that model".

BBC News NI understands that 26 July has been proposed to ministers as an indicative date to allow:

That date is also being proposed as the date to remove the legal requirement for the wearing of face coverings in places of worship and making it guidance only.

It is understood ministers are also being asked to consider removing the guidelines for students to wear face coverings in classrooms and school "bubbles" but that, along with other measures, would be subject to public health conditions at the time.

It is believed all of the measures would still need to be rubber stamped closer to the time at an executive meeting on 22 July.

Theatres and some other audience venues have been closed or had to restrict numbers throughout the pandemic because of social-distancing guidance.

They had previously been given an indicative date of 21 June for their reopening but the executive has so far delayed that.

Some other indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas have been allowed to resume trading.

On Wednesday, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said changes needed to be made "at the right time" and she saw no evidence to suggest the mandatory use of face coverings should be ended on public transport.

"The data tells us it acts as a mitigation against the virus but it also gives passengers confidence to come back on to our public transport network," said the SDLP politician.

Asked if she felt the differences between Covid rules in England and Northern Ireland were contributing to mixed messaging, Ms Mallon said she did not believe it was "wise to blindly follow" another government.

"Always with Boris Johnson you need to look beyond the rhetoric, the prime minister has given a date but has strongly caveated that it will be dependent on the data," she added.

"I want to reassure people that whatever our differences at the executive table, we will look at NI-specific data to ensure we're taking the right decisions."

But Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Gregory Campbell said he wanted ministers to "reach a unified position which offers confidence and hope for people in the short term".

His party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said there would be a "move eventually" towards a policy of voluntary mask-wearing.

He urged people to continue "abiding by social distancing until new guidance is issued".

Sir Michael McBride, Northern Ireland's chief medical officer, has expressed concern about mixed messages on issues such as masks.

Speaking on Wednesday, he said there had been a "lot of public debate and media coverage" about face coverings.

"It's important that we guard against sending the public mixed messages about the evidence around matters such as face coverings and the benefit of face coverings," he said.

"Whether those are mandatory or whether those are voluntary, those are policy matters and ultimately a matter for ministers."