Stormont ministers to meet on Thursday to discuss further easing of restrictions

By PA News Team

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster has said saving lives remains a priority but the focus of ministers is "turning to livelihoods".

"The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on our economy and wider society," she told the daily briefing at Stormont.

"The longer people are removed from the labour market, the greater the risk of long-term scarring on our economy and wider society.

"We need to take action to help the economy recover and this will be gradual and in stages."

Mrs Foster made her comments just hours after economy minister Diane Dodds announced that all non-essential retailers in Northern Ireland can reopen from Friday.

Mrs Foster said services such as hairdressers and barbers will be "considered in subsequent stages of our Covid response".

"We are all very mindful in the Executive of the desire of families and friends to meet, we will consider that later in the week on Thursday as well," she said, adding that ministers have asked officials for guidance on the "bubble concept".

Mrs Foster also announced a working group involving churches and other faith groups will be established to discuss how to achieve the gradual reopening of places of worship.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was really pleased to see a second day in a row where no deaths with coronavirus had been announced in Northern Ireland by the department of health.

She described it as a "positive situation" but added they remain "cautious, careful and vigilant in the time ahead after the hard struggle which has been a hard struggle for everyone".

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the Executive is still considering its policy around face coverings.

"Previously when we have sought medical advice in terms of face coverings and the merit or not of them, we have been told that 'yes, OK, they're helpful, they can give people some reassurance in terms of moving around, however we need to watch that people don't lapse into a false sense of security'," she said.

"We have that still under review and certainly we'll be coming back to that discussion again later in the week."

First Minister Arlene Foster added: "We have, as an Executive, recommended that people should wear face coverings on public transport or indeed in shops, but there is a body of evidence that says actually when people are wearing face coverings they think they don't have to take the other hygiene regimes as seriously, and that's not the case, and it does concern me when I see people wearing face masks but they are not socially distancing, and that's wrong.

"You have to continue to be involved in social distancing even when you are wearing a face mask because the face mask doesn't protect you, it only protects others from you breathing upon them.

"We will have that discussion around face masks again on Thursday when we have more advice from our advisers."