![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2.57505699.png\")
Theatres and concert halls are to be allowed to reopen in Northern Ireland as part of the latest relaxations to Covid-19 rules.<\/p>\nTheatres and concert halls are to be allowed to reopen in Northern Ireland as part of the latest relaxations to Covid-19 rules.<\/p>\n
Stormont ministers have also raised the number limit for gatherings in indoor domestic settings from six to 10 people, from no more than three households.<\/p>\n
Wearing face coverings inside places of worship is also set to be changed from a mandatory requirement to guidance, while restrictions on how MOT vehicle tests are conducted are to be eased.<\/p>\n
The steps are due to come into legal effect at 6pm on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
It is understood theatre and concert hall performances in Northern Ireland will have to be ticket-only events, with tickets purchased in advance.<\/p>\n
Indoor audiences must have allocated seats and must remain seated throughout performances, with social distancing of one meter.<\/p>\n
Live music will also be permitted in theatres and concert halls and other venues, with no restrictions on volume.<\/p>\n
The wearing of face coverings during acts of worship will change from regulation to guidance in Northern Ireland, but it will still be a legal requirement to wear them when entering and exiting the building.<\/p>\n
Ministers will also strongly advise their use when singing or when moving around during services.<\/p>\n
The decisions were taken during a virtual executive meeting on Monday afternoon. Two relaxations agreed by ministers last week came into force on Monday.<\/p>\n
A cap limiting the number of households allowed to participate in 15-person outdoor domestic gatherings was removed and close contact services, such as hairdressers, were able to accept walk-in customers.<\/p>\n
The latest decisions, delayed from last week, were made after ministers were presented with more data on the link between positive cases and hospital admissions.<\/p>\n
Ministers will convene again on Thursday to consider relaxations considered \u201chigher risk\u201d.<\/p>\n
Those include the resumption of conferences and exhibitions and a proposal to end social distancing requirements for outdoor activities and reduce the distance to one meter for indoor settings.<\/p>\n
At Monday\u2019s executive, ministers also discussed Northern Ireland\u2019s waiting list crisis.<\/p>\n
The region has the worst waiting list times in the UK. There are currently more than 335,000 waiting for a first consultant-led appointment, with some facing waits of up to seven years for treatment.<\/p>\n
The waiting lists have led to increased pressures on emergency departments across the region.<\/p>\n
Those pressures have been exacerbated by increased numbers of Covid-19 admissions, and on Sunday two health trusts, Belfast and South Eastern, issued an emergency call for off-duty staff to come in to help deal with the worsening situation in hospitals.<\/p>\n
A further 639 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Northern Ireland on Monday. There were no new deaths notified by the Department of Health.<\/p>\n