COVID-19: Swann aims to lift 'bulk' of restrictions this week
Health Minister Robin Swann has vowed to move ahead with the lifting of 'the bulk' of remaining Coronavirus restrictions.
Speaking at Stormont, Mr Swann said that the absence of a fully-functioning Executive - following the resignation of First Minister Paul Givan last week - would not deter him from advocating a 'significant removal' of restrictions.
"We are in a better place now than we were at the start of the year. We have real reasons to be optimistic," the Minister said.
"That is why until last week I was expecting this week’s meeting of the Executive to deliver a major review of the remaining Coronavirus regulations.
But for reasons well known we won’t have that opportunity. The story this week should have been how public adherence and the sheer scale of the sacrifice of health workers had allowed us to move to the position of lifting restrictions.
The absence of a First or deputy First Minister has removed the opportunity for those discussions at an Executive.
But I’m not prepared to allow a failure of politics to get in the way of lifting now unnecessary restrictions.
So today, I can confirm that as it was my intention to go to the Executive this week to advocate a significant removal of Covid restrictions, I am now seeking that legal guidance on how I myself can replace the bulk of remaining restrictions - if not them all - with clear guidance and advice.
When we had an Executive, Ministers always said we wouldn’t retain restrictions for a day longer than necessary, so that same logic should still apply."
However, Mr Swann urged caution from the public should restrictions be lifted this week.
"But removing legal regulations does not mean a free for all or throwing caution to the wind. We can and must keep making safer choices in our daily lives, for the sake of others as well as ourselves. Guidance can spell out how best to do that," he added.
"While we must move forward carefully, we can’t stay locked in emergency restrictions for ever. We need to start getting normal back. That means moving cautiously out of the current legal phase of the Covid response.
I hope this will be a permanent decision."
He also stressed that any decisions would be based on whether he could get the legal go-ahead to implement the further easing of restrictions by himself.
"The legal situation has been complicated by the actions of last week - the Covid regulations have always been collective Executive regulations. And now we have no Executive.
So this is not necessarily straightforward. But the people of NI deserve a clear path ahead. That’s what I am continuing to work to provide," he said.