Northern Ireland: Restaurants to reopen but wet-led pubs to remain closed

Following Northern Ireland’s two-week circuit breaker lockdown, restaurants and hotels will reopen from 11 December.

However, wet-led pubs and nightclubs will have to remain closed. The Executive said an additional financial package will be put in place.

Pubs and private members’ clubs serving a main or ‘substantive meal’ that has been prepared in their own kitchen can reopen, as can cafés. Food and drink can be purchased until 10.30pm but cannot be consumed on the premises after 11pm, by which time all persons must vacate the venue.

Deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill said: “The Executive wants to give people as much notice as possible on what the situation will look like from next Friday, when the current circuit breaker comes to an end.

“We have given detailed consideration to which restrictions need to be maintained and what we can open up, in light of the scientific and medical advice.

“A package of measures that will see significant relaxations to the current restrictions has been agreed, with maximum mitigations in place to minimise risks to the greatest extent possible. An additional support package will be put in place for traditional drink-only pubs that unfortunately will not be able to reopen at this time.”

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