Coronavirus: ALL non-essential goods retailers can REOPEN this Friday

The announcement was made by Economy Minister, Diane Dodds, on Monday afternoon.

“I am very pleased to be able to confirm that all non-essential goods retailers in Northern Ireland can re-open from Friday June 12, subject to them adhering to the necessary safety measures and no increase in the spread of the virus.

"This was considered at this morning’s Executive meeting and it was agreed that as long as retailers can adhere to the necessary safety measures, and there is no increase in the spread of the virus by Thursday, then these shops can re-open."

Mrs. Dodds added: “The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the local economy.

"The recovery has already begun and it is time now for the pace to accelerate.

"The re-opening of all goods retail outlets will be a huge part of this.

“The safety of staff and customers is of course paramount. All retailers must be able to implement measures that minimise the risk to their staff and to the people who visit their stores.

"We will be co-existing with this virus for some time to come so it is vital that we continue to adhere to guidance to work and live safely.

"Debenhams is an excellent example of how retailers can make this work and adapt to this new normal.”

The Minister added: “The re-opening of our local shopping sector is a significant step forward in the Executive’s pathway to recovery.

"I and my Executive colleagues remain committed to moving forward in the recovery while at all times keeping the health, wellbeing and safety of people at the centre and being transparent in our approach.

“This is a major step forward today but there is more work to do and I will continue to work to progress the recovery.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor