| |  | | | Michael Cousins | | Acting Managing Editor |
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Good afternoon
Welcome to your Coronavirus and General news update from the News Letter.
Stormont ministers have agreed to remove a legal requirement for social distancing in bars and restaurants in Northern Ireland, the PA news agency understands. The one-metre rule will be removed on October 31. From October 31, nightclubs can also reopen. On that date, customers will also now be able to move around all hospitality premises freely again and dancing is permitted again. The Executive will ask event organisers and venues to require patrons to either prove full vaccination or a negative lateral flow test or evidence of a Covid infection within the previous six months. A further four patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have died in the last 24 hours. Another 1,305 cases of the virus were also notified by the Department of Health. On Thursday morning, there were 359 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom 33 were in intensive care. A total of 2,542,757 vaccines have been administered in total.
In other news:
* The EU is preparing to table new proposals on the Northern Ireland Protocol by the “middle of next week”, Maros Sefcovic has said.
The European Commission vice-president said he hopes to brief the UK Government on the “very far-reaching” proposals within the next fortnight, before intensive discussions throughout the rest October and November.
* The UK government has confirmed that it will press ahead with plans to impose Irish Language legislation on Northern Ireland from Westminster.
A UK Government spokesperson told the News Letter: “It is disappointing that the Executive has not progressed legislation to deliver the balanced identity, language and culture package as agreed in the New Decade, New Approach agreement. This legislation will recognise Northern Ireland’s rich diversity.
* Tim McGarry: The ‘Brexiteers against Brexit’ lot are angry – here are my proposals.
During the Conservative Party conference the Pandora Papers revealed that some less-than-entirely reputable Russians have donated millions of pounds to the Tories. | |
