Coronavirus: Executive to make decision on curfew in the hospitality sector

So-called ‘wet bars’ only reopened this week after being closed for six months due to Covid regulation.

But there is anticipation that the Executive may tighten opening hours following similar moves in the rest of the UK.

Currently, pubs and restaurants must close by 10pm in England, Scotland and Wales.

Ministers will act after receiving advice from chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride this afternoon.

Northern Ireland’s leaders earlier this week acknowledged that Stormont’s latest Covid-19 messaging had become confused.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill accepted that introducing Province-wide restrictions on domestic gatherings just hours before the reopening of pubs that do not serve food appeared “conflicting”, while First Minister Arlene Foster conceded the moves could be seen as “counter-intuitive”.

Both leaders insisted there was sound scientific evidence to justify the contrasting steps. They stressed that pubs provided more controlled environments.

Hospitality industry representatives have called on the executive to agree to a curfew of 11:30pm.

Colin Neill, of Hospitality Ulster, said:“In reality, it is 50-70% of an already reduced income and will reduce staff hours or the need to bring staff back off furlough.

“We would ask that the NI Executive listens to the heartfelt plea of the sector and chooses a 23:30 closure time if a curfew is imposed, to give some chance to those who have had such an awful time in the last number of months.”