THE STORMONT Executive will continue discussions later today, Thursday, May 7, on how and when to relax any lockdown restrictions.
Finance Minister Conor Murphy said he hopes a plan will be produced on Thursday, but stressed the Executive would not be bound by dates.
On Sunday, May 10, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out his own blueprint aimed at beginning to ease the UK lockdown.
It could start as early as Monday, May 11.
Mr Johnson is meeting his Cabinet this morning to discuss a phased release of the lockdown.
It comes as the Bank of England warned today that the economy is likely to go into a double recession by the end of June with the economy to shrink in 2020 by up to 14 per cent, the worst contraction since 1706.
The North of Ireland’s executive is due to review its Coronavirus legislation by Saturday.
The regulations initially took effect in Northern Ireland on 28 March, and have already been extended once by the executive.
Ministers have been holding detailed discussions this week about a phased relaxation, in line with advice from the executive’s medical scientific advisers.
On Wednesday, Mr Murphy said he hoped the executive could produce such a plan on Thursday, before the bank holiday weekend, but was not definitive that it would be made public by then.
“I’m more concerned about getting it done correctly rather than rushing to meet a deadline,” he added.
The slow release of lockdown could see the reopening of churches for private prayer, garden centres and possibly some retail outlets.
But pubs are likely to be the last to reopen because of the problems in social distancing.
Derry was the first in the North of Ireland to see pubs shut its doors to the public before St Patrick’s Day to prevent any further spread of the virus.
The Education Minister said it is “extremely likely” there could be a phased return of schools in NI in September, at the start of a new educational year.
Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle’s Breakfast programme, Peter Weir said he would be criteria-led, not date-led and any decision would need to reflect the executive’s wider plans for recovery.
He said “practical measures,” such as securing PPE for staff, putting social distancing in place to allow school meals and ensuring measures are adhered to on school transport, still need to be addressed.
Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said she plans to raise the issue of face masks on public transport at the executive meeting on plans to ease lockdown restrictions later.
Last week, the Irish government set out a detailed timeframe for lifting restrictions, running from 18 May to 10 August, to help the Republic reopen slowly.
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