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Covid-19 in NI: Good vibe as shops and pubs reopen
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media caption Getting out and mixing that with a pint - you can’t beat it
Thousands of people have gone shopping or enjoyed drinks at pubs as the Covid-19 lockdown eased in Northern Ireland.
There were big queues outside some shops, bars and cafes on Friday with many outlets reopening after the four-month winter shutdown.
Gyms and swimming pools were also allowed to open again.
Some retailers reported busy trade, with one County Down shopping centre manager saying: It feels a bit like Christmas Day. there s a good vibe.
Public health authorities on both sides of border urge caution
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The Public Health Agency (PHA) in Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive (HSE) in the Republic of Ireland are urging people to stick to key public health advice and exercise caution over coming weeks, particularly with regard to cross-border activity. The call comes as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland progress on the easing of their respective lockdowns.
Dr Gerry Waldron, Head of Health Protection at the PHA, said: “As lockdowns ease in different ways either side of the border, we really want people to continue to exercise caution and restraint to help limit the spread of coronavirus. Some border communities have seen high levels of COVID-19 infection during the pandemic, so we need to act responsibly to help keep case numbers down and ultimately save lives.
Over one million COVID-19 vaccine doses have now been administered in Northern Ireland since the Department of Health launched the vaccination campaign at the end of 2020, helping to save lives and protect a great many others from serious illness.
Currently, people over the age of 40 are eligible for the vaccine; they can book online at one of the regional vaccination centres or directly with a participating community pharmacy.
If you’re unable to book online, a telephone booking service is available for the regional vaccination centres, and appointments at community pharmacies can be made by either phoning the pharmacy itself or through the pharmacy’s own booking system.
Speaking to the BBC s Good Morning Ulster, Mrs Foster referred to correspondence she had received from a nine-year-old child and said she had to “take that into consideration” ahead of a meeting among the Executive on Thursday.
“When a nine-year-old child writes to me and says that he wants to go back to school because he is lonely, he misses his friends and he misses his teachers - I have to take that into consideration.
“The health advisors believe that we need to take a very cautious approach.
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“I want to try and understand, given what has happened in all the other jurisdictions of the UK - and in the Republic of Ireland where there is a higher transmission rate - why we are moving at the speed we are moving.