23 April 2021 The Nightingale rehabilitation facility at Whiteabbey hospitals being stood down for Coronaavirus patients, the Northern Trust has announced. The 100-bed facility opened last November as a step down hospital for people not ready to return home. It will now be used as a non-Covid enhanced rehabilitation unit. 23 April 2021 A 14-year-old girl has been found safe and well after police issued a child security alert. An 18-year-old male has been arrested and is currently being detained in custody. The teenage girl was found in the Belfast area and has been reunited with her family. 22 April 2021 Driving tests are to resume in Northern Ireland after they were suspended four months ago due to lockdown restrictions. Additional measures have been put in place in an attempt to clear the backlog and demand is believed to be hig
Northern Ireland lockdown LIVE: Restrictions ease allowing hairdressers and beauticians to open
It s a big day for hairdressers and beauticians as lockdown rules change, while driving lessons, driving tests and organised sport can also resume
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Play now Parts of Belfast city centre will open for business on Friday as hairdressers, beauticians, make-up and nail stations and tattoo parlours welcome customers back after months of lockdown. All close contact services have been shut since December when Northern Ireland was placed into lockdown for the third time.
But April 23 marks a further step in the right direction.
22 April 2021 Police have issued a child rescue alert for a 14-year-old girl who went missing three days ago from County Louth. Garda issued the alert following concerns there is an immediate and serious risk to the health or welfare of Svetlana Murphy. 22 April 2021 Health Minister Robin Swann is urging the public to not jeopardise the important progress made as Northern Ireland prepares to gradually ease out of lockdown restrictions. The Minister said everyone has a key part to play in maintaining the progress achieved over recent months. 22 April 2021 A man shot in the chest by a police officer following an incident in L Derry has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.The 42-yet-old suspect was arrested on Monday, 19 April, following the shooting in the Celandine Court area on Saturday, 17 April. He is being treated
Covid-19: Lockdown easing north and south not aligned
By Jayne McCormack
Published
image captionLockdown is gradually easing in Northern Ireland
The easing of lockdown restrictions in NI and the Republic of Ireland will not be perfectly aligned, Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin has said.
Mr Martin told NI business leaders he was in regular contact with Stormont s first and deputy ministers about the pace of reopening. We keep each other informed, he said. But I don t see perfect alignment or anything in the next number of weeks. There will be some gaps.
He said this was primarily down to the differences in the speed of vaccination programmes in the two jurisdictions.