The Northern Ireland Exectuive has come to an agreement to ease Covid-19 restrictions from Friday, December 11.

The restrictions to be eased included the reopening of non-essential retail and some areas of the hospitality sector. Wet pubs will remain closed while businesses including hotels, cafes and restuarants must close their doors at 11pm every day.

Close contact services including beauty salons and hairdresser will reopen but by appointment only; gyms will be open for individual training only; wedding and funerals can resume with a risk based assessment based on size venue and Church service can resume. The bubbles of three households won't have any restrictions on the number of people between December 23-27.

There is yet to be an announcement on sports below elite level will be able to resume from next Friday.

Welcoming the Executive’s decision to confirm the reopening of non-essential retail on December 11, Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said:

“It is welcome news that the Executive has confirmed the reopening date of non-essential retail on December 11. In saying that, these retailers will struggle to make up the losses from the two-week circuit breaker in the last few weeks of Christmas shopping”

“Retail NI is working with the Executive to ensure that shoppers will have an enjoyable, but above all else, a safe shopping experience from December 11 onwards. We urge shoppers to obey all regulations on face-coverings, social distancing and hand-sanitising”

“In these vital few weeks of Christmas shopping we urge shoppers to make it their civic duty to support independent retailers as many of them are struggling to survive and desperately need the trade”