In a further sign that pressure on health services are easing, the Western Trust has announced patients in its hospitals will now be allowed daily visiting for one hour a day.
Visiting was suspended at Altnagelvin, the South West Acute Hospital and Omagh Hospital for much of January, before a welcome return to visitors once a week over the last seven days.
Now the Trust says patients will be allowed daily visitors, despite the ‘continued high transmission rates’ of Covid 19 in the community.
The updated guidance came into effect from midnight on Tuesday, with one visitor from two nominees permitted to visit for an hour per day.
A statement from the Western Trust said it advised anyone visiting its hospitals to take a lateral flow test before attending.
“While there remains continued high transmission rates of COVID-19 in the community, the Western Trust are further easing restrictions on visiting to hospitals from after midnight on Monday 24 January,” a statement said.
“From 00:01am on Tuesday 25 January 2022 the temporary visiting restrictions across our hospital sites will be eased further to allow for one visit, for one hour per day per patient. There will be exceptions which will apply in some areas.
“The Trust treats the safety of our patients, staff and everyone attending our facilities with the utmost importance and therefore strongly recommends that anyone attending any of our facilities to visit a loved one, to take a lateral flow test immediately prior to attending.”
Meanwhile, from Wednesday a number of restrictions on hospitality businesses will be lifted.
Vaccine passports are to be scrapped for indoor hospitality venues apart from nightclubs, which will be allowed to open for the first time since Christmas.
