Executive due to meet to review current Coronavirus restrictions here

By Q Radio News and PA

The Stormont Executive will meet today to review the easing of coronavirus restrictions in Northern Ireland. 

The next planned easing was to apply from next Monday - but with covid-19 cases rising rapidly, it's not known whether the move will be ratified. 

Earlier this month, ministers had earmarked the 26th of July as a significant date. 

Subject to review today, the legal requirement for social distancing could be reduced to one metre indoors and removed for all outdoor activities and public transport. 

The indicative date was also set for the return of audiences in theatres, concert halls and other venues - and to allow more then 3 households to meet in a private house and stay overnight. 

However, earlier this week the Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she couldn't definitely say if the move would be ratified - until she received an update from the Chief Scientific adviser and chief medical officer on the latest advice.

Earlier this week, Northern Ireland’s chief scientific adviser has said he is very concerned at stalled vaccine rates.

Almost 82% had received a first dose of the jab compared to 87.8% in England, 89.8% in Scotland, 90.5% in Wales by July 18.

Of the 18-29 age group, just 56% have come forward for the vaccine.

Professor Ian Young said he was “very concerned” about the uptake of vaccination.

“There’s still around 18% of adults who have not come forward for the first dose of their vaccine,” he told the BBC.

“And that means 18% of people who are just as susceptible to the most severe effects of Covid as they were earlier in the epidemic and at just the same risk of severe illness, long-term illness in the form of long Covid, hospital admission and death.”

He urged those who have yet to come forward for their jab to “think really hard” about taking up the opportunity.

The region’s chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said overall the roll out of the vaccine programme has been a “huge success”, describing reaching 82% from a “standing start” in December as a “remarkable achievement”.

“Vaccination is our way out of this pandemic, unfortunately over the past number of weeks we have seen the number of people presenting to get the first dose of the vaccine slow very significantly particularly in the younger age groups,” he told the BBC.

“Of all the people eligible to receive the vaccination, there are 18% of people in Northern Ireland who are still vulnerable to this virus, can still be infected with the virus, can still get sick with the virus, can still get long Covid and can still pass the virus on to others, and all they need to do is turn up and walk in to our vaccine centre or turn up at one of our mobile clinics and get the jab and protect ourselves and make sure we can sustain progress on our way out on the other side of this pandemic.”

Sir Michael said there is work to do to understand hesitancy.

He urged people “don’t believe what you’re reading sometimes on social media, on Facebook, or Instagram around these vaccines”.

“These are safe effective vaccines, so say the FDA in the USA, the medicines regulators here in the United Kingdom, the European medicines regulator.

“These are safe and effective vaccine, and I would just appeal to all young people to take up the opportunity to get the jab,” he said.

“They won’t be as accessible in the future, our first doses of the vaccines will end on July 31 at mass vaccination centres and we will begin to stand those down in August so it’s going to become more difficult to access the vaccine although we will still be rolling it out to people who change their mind belatedly.”