Hospitality businesses have called for an end to all Covid restrictions on the sector following the scrapping of vaccine passports in most settings.
The legal requirement to provide Covid certification to enter bars, restaurants and cinemas ended from noon on Wednesday.
Nightclubs can also now reopen but vaccine certification is still needed to gain access.
In workplaces, the requirement to take reasonable measures for two-metre social distancing has also been removed.
It follows the ending on Friday of the requirement to remain seated and the limit of six per table at venues such as pubs.
The latest easing of restrictions was agreed at a meeting of the Executive last week after ministers said Northern Ireland had passed the peak of the Omicron wave.
The use of Covid certification in hospitality venues is still being "strongly encouraged" by the Stormont Executive, but in guidance only.
Vaccine passes have been hailed by some Stormont parties as helping to make venues safer and boost vaccination uptake, but many businesses criticised the restrictions.
Hospitality Ulster welcomed the lifting of mandatory passes in most venues and called for restrictions to be removed completely.
It said proof of Covid status checks caused "undue financial stress to businesses" as many struggled to employ extra staff to check vaccine passports upon entry.
A spokeswoman said: "The introduction of additional restrictions before Christmas, including proof of Covid status and the accompanying government messaging, has been really detrimental to the hospitality industry.
"It is now time to remove all Covid restrictions from hospitality businesses and start the very difficult job of rebuilding our industry."
Vaccine passports became legally enforceable on December 13 following an initial two-week grace period.
Under the scheme hospitality venues such as pubs were required to ask customers for proof of vaccination, a negative test result or Covid immunity to gain admission.
While most Stormont parties backed their introduction, the DUP opposed the move saying it would have a "marginal" impact on reducing coronavirus transmission rates.
First Minister Paul Givan said last week it was his "continued view" that vaccine passports should be scrapped in all settings.
SDLP health spokesperson Colin McGrath said Covid passes had helped keep businesses open, reassure customers and boost vaccination uptake.
But he said it did not have the "maximum impact possible" because the Stormont Executive had "dithered" on introducing the scheme.
He added: "The introduction of Covid-19 vaccine certifications allowed our hospitality sector to remain open over the festive period, protecting patrons and staff and it also resulted in a significant uptake in people being vaccinated."
Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said her party was content that the health advice allowed for the removal of vaccine certification requirements in some settings.
She said: “We were content on the evidence presented they could be recommended rather than mandatory for hospitality, given the peak in cases and hospitalisation has passed.
“However, it will be important to keep the situation under review.”
Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said: "Hospitality is a vital part of our high street offer and a key footfall generator for retailers.
"Therefore any lifting of the restrictions on hospitality is clearly good news for our members and our high streets as whole”
"Safely reopening offices is also important for boosting footfall for our high streets and our economy as a whole. We need to see greater progress on this."
