Coronavirus: Schools in NI shut as two-week closure begins - BBC News

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Coronavirus: Schools in NI shut as two-week closure begins

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• Coronavirus pandemic

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Schools in Northern Ireland are shut on Monday as part of new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

The two-week closure, which includes the half-term holiday, is set to be reviewed on 2 November.

Restrictions imposed on industries in NI by the NI Executive came in at 18:00 BST on Friday.

Restaurants and cafes are now limited to takeaway and delivery services for four weeks.

Restrictions have also been imposed on hotels, the beauty industry and on indoor and contact sport.

On Sunday, the Department of Health reported that five more people had died in Northern Ireland after contracting Covid-19.

That brings the number of deaths, based on a positive test result being recorded, to 615.

Another 1,012 new cases of coronavirus were recorded. In the last seven days 7,090 people have tested positive.

Across Northern Ireland, 228 people with Covid-19 are in hospital. Thirty of them are in intensive care and 23 are ventilated.

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Education Minister Peter Weir has vowed to oppose any move to extend the school closures in Northern Ireland beyond two weeks.

The minister said there had been little evidence that schools were significantly contributing to rising Covid-19 numbers.

Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy said his party would have been prepared to back a longer closure, but they were "content" with the decision.

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A fund to help businesses forced to shut due to increased coronavirus restrictions is due to open for applications on Monday.

The Department of Finance expects the scheme to cost £35m pounds over four weeks.

The fund is only available to businesses forced to close or where the use of premises is restricted and is an extension of the help already in place for businesses in the Derry City and Strabane council area.

Police made a number of arrests and handed out fixed penalty notices at a protest against the restrictions at Stormont on Sunday.

What are the new restrictions?

As well as the closure of the hospitality sector (apart from deliveries and takeaways), off-licences and supermarkets are not to sell alcohol after 20:00 and fast-food and takeaway premises are to close at 23:00.

Driving instructors must stop offering lessons and as a result, the Department of Infrastructure has also decided to suspend driving tests.

Other restrictions laid out in the guidance are:

• No indoor sport or organised contact sport involving mixing of households, other than at elite level
• No mass events involving more than 15 people (except for allowed outdoor sporting events where the relevant number for that will continue to apply)
• Close-contact services such as hairdressers and beauticians to close - apart from those relating to the continuation of essential health interventions and therapeutics
• Mobile hairdressers and make-up artists - also classed as close-contact services - prohibited from working in homes
• Gyms to remain open for individual training but no classes permitted
• Places of worship to remain open but face coverings mandatory when entering and exiting
• Wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships to be limited to 25 people with no receptions. This will be implemented on Monday 19 October
• Funerals to be limited to 25 people with no pre or post-funeral gatherings
• Hotels to close, with exemptions for them to offer rooms to essential workers such as workers who need hotels for work-related purposes and "staff on the front line battling Covid"

The following advice has been added to the existing health guidance:

• Work from home unless unable to do so
• Universities and further education to deliver distance learning to the maximum extent possible with only essential face to face learning where that is a necessary and unavoidable part of the course
• No unnecessary travel should be undertaken

• Schools: How are pupils being kept safe?
• Weddings: How many people can attend?
• Going out: When and how are pubs allowed to open?

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