Executive to consider new restrictions to help arrest spread of virus

Shop staff in Northern Ireland have been subject to verbal abuse since the introduction of mandatory face coverings last week.

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News   What's On   Lifestyle              Aug 19, 2020           Dear reader   Thursday promises to be a crucial day that will shape Northern Ireland's immediate future in relation to coronavirus and possible fresh restrictions being introduced.    The latest figures released on Wednesday show that 294 people have tested positive for Covid-19 over the last seven days, with 34 positive tests recorded in the previous 24 hours.    The increases have led to health minister Robin Swann and chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride warning about the possible return of lockdown measures.    The issue is to be discussed by the Stormont Executive on Thursday with several options believed to be on the table, including local lockdowns or more general restrictions for the whole of Northern Ireland including limiting the number of people who can meet indoors. Sport may also be affected, with crowds once again banned from watching sport in the Republic.    Any local lockdown could affect the Mid and East Antrim area, where cases have been rising more quickly than other parts of the Province. However, such measures would likely be opposed by businesses who have already been badly hit by the long lockdown during the spring.    At a national level, airport testing moved a step closer on Wednesday with Heathrow Airport announcing that it wants to offer coronavirus tests for arriving passengers. This would be an alternative to forcing people to quarantine for 14 days after travelling back from abroad.   Alistair Bushe, Editor    Want total access to all of our online content? You can subscribe to our website, newsletter.co.uk for just £1 a month for 3 months - and it couldn't be easier. Signing up will get you faster-loading articles, fewer adverts and access to exclusive content and events when we run them. To learn more, visit our Subscriptions page here.           NI shop staff 'subjected to verbal abuse' since face coverings became mandatory           Shop staff in Northern Ireland have been subject to verbal abuse since the introduction of mandatory face coverings last week.                 Antrim Coast Half Marathon: Race team responds to traders' concerns over Covid-19   Organisers of the Antrim Coast Half Marathon have moved to reassure Larne traders that the event will adhere to strict Covid-19 guidelines.           Morning View: Robin Swann and Stormont Executive must think long and hard before imposing fresh restrictions   Over the last two weeks new cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in Northern Ireland at a pace not seen in months. Not only had deaths related to the virus here all but stopped for a period of weeks, but new cases had slowed to a trickle. The steep rise in newly diagnosed cases during August has certainly caused eyebrows to be raised.                 View more on Coronavirus

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