As you will have heard by now, last night the Executive announced a further tightening of restrictions from Saturday 26^th December 2020.

While this is extremely challenging for businesses, we hope that it will make a profound difference. This lockdown coupled with the roll out of the vaccine should ease the pressure on the Health Service and allow us to return to normal trading.

We at Newry BID are here for any business that needs support with managing or implementing the restrictions. Please contact us on admin@newry.com if you need any assistance.

What we know to date is listed below:
These restrictions take effect from 00:01 on December 26, 2020. The restrictions will be in place for six weeks, subject to review at four weeks.

The Health Minister will be making an oral statement to the Assembly on Monday setting out the evidence that informed the Executive’s discussions and detailing the regulations that are being introduced.
In summary, the restrictions for the six-week period include:

• closure of hospitality and non-essential retail with a stricter demarcation between essential and non-essential retail than that deployed during the recent circuit breaker. Click and collect retail will not be permitted, and homeware will not be categorised as essential retail. Off sales (including from bars) will be permitted from 08:00 on Monday to Saturday, and from 10:00 on Sunday, until 20:00 on any day. Hospitality businesses will only be allowed to offer takeaway and delivery food.
• closure of close contact businesses
• places of worship can remain open under strict conditions

In addition, there will be a one-week period of additional restrictions from 26 December to 2 January. Between 20:00 and 06:00 during this period:

• all businesses which are able to remain open as part of the restrictions must close between these hours
• no indoor or outdoor gatherings of any kind will be permitted after 20:00 and before 06:00, including at sporting venues
• outdoor exercise will be permitted only with members of your own household
• no household mixing will be permitted in private gardens or indoors in any setting between these times, except for emergencies or the provision of health or care services or where households have chosen to form a Christmas bubble for a period of time between 23 to 27 December with provision for travel a day either side when absolutely necessary