Nightclubs to open as passports for pubs scrapped
Stormont ministers have agreed to reopen nightclubs and scrap the need to show vaccine passports in pubs, restaurants and cinemas from January 26.
However, passports will still be needed for nightclubs and indoor unseated and partially seated events with 500 or more people.
The so-called “rule of six” per table will go from midday on Friday and hospitality businesses will be advised to retain use of Covid certification rather than be legally obligated to do so.
The measures are among a raft of “phased approaches” detailed in Stormont’s roadmap to ease Omicron restrictions in the coming weeks as cases of the virus peak and hospitalisations stabilise.
Other restrictions to be eased include:
- A cap on the number of households meeting indoors to be lifted from this Friday
- From January 28, offices will no longer have to take “reasonable measures” to ensure two metre social distancing – though risk assessments should be carried out
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill added: “It is very clear that we appear to be past the peak in terms of case numbers, but also in terms of hospital admissions and bed occupancy.
“That’s crucially important information to understand why we’re able to move forward today. That, alongside the fact that so many people came forward and have achieved both vaccines and also their booster vaccine.”
While numbers of critically ill Covid patients in hospital have reduced, frontline staff remain under intense pressure sue to soaring absences linked to the Omicron variant.
