LISTEN: Executive to meet to discuss easing coronavirus restrictions

By James Ward, PA

The Executive is to meet on Monday to discuss the lifting of some coronavirus restrictions, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said.

The current measures are due to be lifted on Friday, but public health chiefs advised that bars and restaurants should remain closed for a further two weeks.

Ms O’Neill suggested that there could be some “flexibility” shown to the hospitality sector, but said so-called “wet pubs” would remain shut.

She told the BBC the Executive would not keep restrictions in place longer than was necessary and would examine which areas could be safely reopened.

She said: “We believe there is some flexibility within the current restrictions that we could maybe open up things, so, for example, close-contact services – is there space for us to be able to open those things up again from next Friday, in a very regulated way of course?”

“The restrictions very much focus on the hospitality sector right now so we’re looking at that wide family.

“Across hospitality, you’ve everything from a cafe or a coffee shop, right through to a nightclub and they’re two very different scenarios.

“We’re looking at whether there is any space or scope there to lift some of those things in a graduated way over the course of the next number of weeks.”

Ms O’Neill said alcohol was a factor in considering what can reopen, because it causes people to lower their defences.

She said the Executive is considering allowing cafes and restaurants to open without alcohol, while bars remain closed.

Reacting to the suggestion that some premises will be allowed to reopen for food but no alcohol sales, Hospitality Ulster has urged the NI Executive to make the right call to save thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses by allowing the entire hospitality sector to reopen from 13th November.

The call comes as this Friday marks a month since the sector was locked down, despite having some of the most stringent rules and legally enforceable regulations in place prior to the move to create a circuit breaker by the government.

The organisation has said that 13th November must serve as the date whereby the sector is given the opportunity to get back on its feet again, but has warned the Executive that if it does not make the right call, then they cannot push a reopening date past 27th November. Any date later than that will deny four trading weekends in the lead into Christmas – a key part of the year for the sector.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster said today:

Colin Neill

“We really need the Executive to make sure that the focus is on getting the entire hospitality sector back up and running again this Friday to save a significant amount of jobs and businesses.”

“We now face a really important part of the year and although we are live to the fact that this will be an extremely challenging trading period, we need to have the doors open. Hundreds of businesses are struggling and now in debt as they try to keep staff in the face of mounting bills and a lack of financial aid from the government which covers very little in reality.”

“If there is any decision to defer then it simply cannot be for anything more than two weeks. The 27th November, for example, only gives four weekends in which to trade before Christmas. Any date beyond that will have a huge impact and we’ll likely see thousands of layoffs and businesses not fit to reopen again if there is any delay.”

“We have not seen anywhere near the level of financial support needed to preserve businesses that are closed, even the furlough scheme, whilst welcome, does nothing to help those under pressure.

"For example, businesses are expected to pay c£30 a week per employee, so if you have 100 staff, you need to find £3000 a week from thin air. Every day businesses are closed, means more job losses and more business failures, it’s as simple as that.”