{"id":22714,"date":"2021-08-12T10:18:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T14:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22714"},"modified":"2021-08-13T11:21:31","modified_gmt":"2021-08-13T15:21:31","slug":"ministers-at-stormont-to-consider-relaxing-self-isolation-rules-in-the-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22714","title":{"rendered":"Ministers At Stormont To Consider Relaxing Self-Isolation Rules In The North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The North’s ministers will meet on Thursday to discuss the further easing of Covid restrictions (PA Archive\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stormont ministers are to consider relaxing the rules on self-isolation in the North at a meeting on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministers will examine a proposal to bring regulations into line with the rest of the UK, meaning people who are contacts with positive cases will no longer have to isolate for 10 days as long as they test negative and have both jabs of the vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Thursday\u2019s executive meeting, ministers will also discuss whether to drop the use of face masks in post-primary schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allowing the return of conferences and exhibitions will also be considered, as will the one-meter social distancing requirement in indoor settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministers are convening for the first time in two weeks amid continuing high infection rates in the North, where transmission rates are now the highest in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the seven days up to August 1st the North’s infection rate was 445.3 per 100,000 people. This was almost twice as high as the rate in England (282.1) and more than three times as high as the rate in Scotland (143.6) and Wales (141.5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economy minister Gordon Lyons said the current requirement for people to isolate for 10 days was having a negative impact on businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCombined with the difficulties that already exist within the labor market, the self-isolation rules that we have in Northern Ireland are causing real issues,\u201d he told BBC Radio Ulster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re obviously behind the rest of the UK on this. They\u2019ve recognized that there has been a problem, they\u2019ve moved to address that, I hope we can do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

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