The NI Executive last night agreed a package of additional restrictions given the high levels of Covid-19 transmission in the community.

And an order for people in Northern Ireland to stay at home - to stop the spread of Covid-19 - will become legally enforceable from Friday.

The executive agreed the move after it met on Tuesday night.

This means that people can only leave home for medical or food needs, exercise and work that cannot be done from home.

placeholder image — The COVID-19 rate in has risen

Ministers also agreed to a proposal from Health Minister Robin Swann to reintroduce enforcement powers for the PSNI to order people to go home if they are engaging in prohibited activity.

Speaking after the meeting, First Minister Arlene Foster said people should not wait for the regulations to take effect and insisted people should already be staying at home.

THIS IS WHAT WAS AGREED -

Indoor and outdoor gatherings will be reduced from 15 people to six and only from two households, which will include children under 12 - exemptions will apply such as support bubbles.

People will no longer be allowed to meet with other households in private gardens, although similar exemptions will apply there too.

However, people will be allowed to take exercise outdoors with one person from another household.

The executive also supported a proposal from the health minister to make it a requirement for all employers to conduct a risk assessment where employees are required to work away from their home.

Ministers agreed the measures will last until 6 February, and be reviewed along with other lockdown measures on 21 January.

Ministers will today update the Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on the detail of decisions reached, which cover schools and the extension of remote learning until the mid-term break in February.

The Executive also agreed that Junior Ministers will meet with the Faith Leaders’ Forum as soon as possible to discuss the option of all services moving online until February 6.

Regulations will be introduced so that no one can leave their home without a reasonable excuse and the PSNI will have the enforcement powers to order individuals home if engaging in prohibited activity, or if they are intending to do so.

This will be similar to legislation in place during the first lockdown, with exemptions adapted to take account of those activities currently not permitted under the current restrictions.

The full list of exemptions will be detailed in the regulations, which are currently being drafted.

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