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Restrictions on movement in Northern Ireland will remain in place for the foreseeable future, a Stormont minister has said.<\/p>\nRestrictions on movement in Northern Ireland will remain in place for the foreseeable future, a Stormont minister has said.<\/p>\n
Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey indicated there would be no relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown measures next week when a review is due.<\/p>\n
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots, who appeared alongside Ms Hargey at the daily Covid-19 press briefing at Stormont, warned people not to travel to beauty spots and popular visitor locations over the Easter weekend.<\/p>\n
He said those who were currently \u201cmisbehaving badly\u201d would face punishment, as he stressed that police would be patrolling in significant numbers over the coming days.<\/p>\n
The number of deaths linked to coronavirus in a hospital setting in Northern Ireland rose to 78 on Wednesday, with five further deaths reported in the previous 24 hours.<\/p>\n
There were 84 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total in the region to 1,339.<\/p>\n
Ms Hargey made clear there would be no imminent relaxation of the measures.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the restrictions are in for the foreseeable future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe obviously continuously look at the medical advice and the modelling that is there. We know that the restrictions that have been put in over the last number of weeks have had an impact and we want to make sure that that continues and that there\u2019s no sharp increase in the number of cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we don\u2019t want is to lift that too early and then seeing a sharp rise again, and that is a concern, obviously, so these restrictions will be in for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Poots said the daily death updates were like flashbacks to the Northern Ireland Troubles.<\/p>\n
He urged people not to lose their nerve and continue to adhere to social distancing restrictions.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery one of us can make a contribution to ensuring that there are less people lose their lives by following the steps that have been outlined \u2013 they are working and the public need to know this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat they\u2019re doing is actually working, it\u2019s doing good, they are saving lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep at it. Now is not the time to go weak on it, now is not the time to give up. Keep at it \u2013 you\u2019re doing a wonderful job.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s some people who are misbehaving badly. I hope those people are punished for it appropriately. The rest of you, you\u2019re doing a brilliant job, keep doing what you\u2019re doing, you\u2019re saving lives, and you\u2019re saving our health service and supporting the superb work that our healthcare workers are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSo let\u2019s not lose our nerve. Now\u2019s the time not to reverse all the good work that has been done, now is the time to make it count by staying at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if Northern Ireland should consider replicating the restriction in place in the Irish Republic \u2013 preventing travel beyond 2km of home \u2013 Mr Poots stressed that police were patrolling the streets to ensure people were not out for inappropriate reasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if people think that it\u2019s okay to fill their car up and head off this weekend they\u2019ll be in for a shock because the police will be out on the roads,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople will be asked what they\u2019re doing and the law will be explained to them that it\u2019s entirely inappropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Poots said the most effective way of ensuring compliance was for everyone to demonstrate \u201cself-discipline\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t going to last forever \u2013 it\u2019s going last a bit longer before we can start to relax things, but this is not going to last forever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo be patient \u2013 what you\u2019re doing is saving lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Hargey said she wanted the public to comply voluntarily and stressed that police would be engaging and encouraging people in the first instance.<\/p>\n
But she made clear officers would take enforcement action if required.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is clear that getting into a car to go and take exercise is not going to do exercise \u2013 it\u2019s actually a day trip out, and it\u2019s unnecessary and it shouldn\u2019t happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n