Fines up to £1,000 could be imposed in areas subjected to further restrictions

By Rebecca Black, PA

Fines ranging from £60 to £1,000 could be issued to those who breach fresh coronavirus restrictions in areas of Northern Ireland.

New rules were announced as applying from Monday in Belfast, Ballymena and parts of Glenavy, Lisburn and Crumlin.

The measures, which were not yet legally enforceable on Monday, mean that people cannot visit others in their homes in these areas and no more than six people from two households will be allowed to gather in a private garden.

The new rules, which are expected to be in place for at least two weeks, also include those living in the restricted zones being advised not to travel outside them unless it is necessary.

Exceptions can be made for those in support bubbles with other households and those with caring responsibilities.

Health Minister Robin Swann said work is continuing on the regulations, which he said he expects will be finalised later in the week.

“This is a detailed piece of work and it’s a very intensive piece of work, so we’re making sure that these actually are watertight so when we do have to use enforcement measures that we have everything in place to do that,” he told the BBC.

He said fixed-term penalty notices from £60 to £1,000 could be put in place for those who breach regulations.

“That’s the detail we are working through at this minute in time, we have seen fines being put in place in England, Scotland and Wales up to £10,000 for people who blatantly organise large-scale events in their areas,” he said.

“I would like to see the people of Northern Ireland complying, but I think if we do have to go to that extent, then I think whatever regulations and whatever laws we bring in do have to be enforceable and also do have to act as a deterrent.

“We saw at the start of this pandemic when we brought in far more draconian regulations that people in Northern Ireland complied, behaved and acted in a responsible manner, so that’s what I am encouraging people in those specific areas to do from today on.”

The latest figures from the Department of Health on Monday recorded two deaths of people with Covid-19 reported over the weekend, bringing the death toll recorded by the department to 570.

A further 109 new confirmed cases of the virus in the last 24-hour reporting period were also recorded.