Northern Ireland extends lockdown to 1 April
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The Stormont Executive has agreed to extend Northern Ireland’s lockdown to 1 April.
Some restrictions will be lifted however, with a phased reopening of schools.
Children in primary school will be allowed to go back to school on 8 March. They will then return to remote learning on 22 March to allow the return of years 12 to 14 until the start of the Easter holidays.
Rules on outdoor gatherings will also be relaxed from 8 March, with groups of 10 or more from up to two households able to gather in outdoor public spaces.
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The lockdown was imposed on 26 December to manage a peak in Covid-19 cases, and restrictions were to last until March 5.
First Minister Arlene Foster said another review of the measures will take place on 18 March, and that the Executive will publish a “decision-making framework” for Northern Ireland’s exit from lockdown on March 1.
Foster said: “Our clear priority at this point is to continue to keep the R rate below 1 for our cases, and to achieve this it is considered a full lifting of the current restrictions is not possible at this point.”
Northern Ireland is “on the verge” of having given a first dose of the vaccine to 30% of its adult population, Foster added.