Self-isolate guidance issued to travellers arriving in NI

Anyone returning to Northern Ireland for the festive season should be self-isolating on Christmas Day under the terms of guidance issued by Stormont.

The advice, published by the executive, comes after ministers agreed earlier this week to recommend against any non-essential travel between Northern Ireland and both Great Britain and the Irish Republic.

The executive also agreed to advice anyone arriving in Northern Ireland, who is staying for more than 24 hours, to isolate for 10 days. It applies to anyone who has arrived since December 22.

People who intend to leave the region before 10 days elapse can do so.

The guidance, published by the devolved administration, confirms that people who regularly cross the Irish border for essential reasons, such as going to work, do not need to self-isolate.

On Wednesday, new regulations also came into force that gave legal footing to the executive’s decision to reduce the five-day period of Christmas relaxations on household gathering to just one day between December 23-27.

Covid rates in the region remain high, with another 21 deaths and 787 new cases confirmed on Wednesday.

On December 26, Northern Ireland enters a new six-week lockdown. The first week of the measures will be the toughest so far imposed in the region.

A stay-at-home curfew will be in place from 8pm to 6am for that week.

The guidance on travel has been introduced after a Sinn Fein bid in the executive to introduce a legal ban on travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain was voted down by other ministers.