On Monday, Health Minister Robin Swann announced the removal of all remaining Covid restrictions in Northern Ireland.
From 5pm on Tuesday, restrictions such as Covid passports in all settings and the wearing of face masks were moved from regulations to guidance.
Minister Swann said: "There are only a small number of restrictions left in place in those regulations, including requirements to wear face coverings in public places; for business owners to have measures in place to limit transmission of the virus; for the use of Covid certification at nightclubs and large unseated indoor events; and for limits on numbers meeting indoors in private homes.
"In light of the current situation, and remembering the commitment that restrictions would only be in place as long as they are needed, I have decided that those remaining measures should no longer be set out in regulations."
Here is what the removal of legal restrictions means for testing and isolation in Northern Ireland:
Rules for self-isolating
Health Minister Robin Swann has confirmed that there are no plans at this stage for changes to the current arrangements for testing, contact tracing and isolation in Northern Ireland.
However, the Department of Health confirmed that the self-isolation rules in Northern Ireland were never law but instead were classified as "very strong guidance".
Isolating after receiving a positive coronavirus test, therefore, is not a legal requirement.
Guidance states you should self-isolate if:
- you have symptoms of Coronavirus (you can end isolation after a negative PCR result)
- you have tested positive for Coronavirus
- you’re a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, and you are not fully vaccinated
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you should begin self-isolating and book a PCR test. You should continue to isolate until the result of the test is available.
If you test positive, you should isolate for 10 days from the date you took the test or the date your symptoms started, whichever is sooner.
You may be able to end your self-isolation period from day six if you have two consecutive negative lateral flow test results taken 24 hours apart, with the first of these taken no earlier than day five and you do not have a high temperature.
If either your day five or six tests are positive you cannot leave isolation.
You should continue to test daily and only leave isolation early (before you have completed 10 full days) after you have had two consecutive negative LFD tests taken at least 24 hours apart.
You should stop testing after you have had two consecutive negative test results.
Rules for testing
People who test positive on lateral flow test do not need a PCR test to confirm that result.
If your lateral flow is positive, you should assume you have COVID-19 and that you are infectious. You should therefore self-isolate immediately for the required period.
You do not need to take a confirmatory PCR test.
It is extremely important that you report your positive lateral flow test. This will trigger contact tracing processes to alert people you have been in close contact with and to provide them with advice regarding their potential to become infected and spread the virus.
Fully-vaccinated close contacts of a positive case are not required to take a PCR test. They are instead are advised to take a lateral flow device (LFD) test as soon as possible and continue to take daily lateral flow tests while isolating.
Unvaccinated people will have to continue to self-isolate for 10 days as before.
Health Minister Swann added: "Coronavirus is likely to stay with us in some form for some time. We cannot maintain emergency restrictions indefinitely. A large part of what we currently do to protect ourselves is already covered by guidance rather than regulations.
"This includes self-isolating when infected and taking lateral flow tests before meeting up with others. The guidance will continue to emphasise all the steps that we should keep taking to protect each other.
"I will, of course, keep the situation on regulations under ongoing and detailed review. We cannot rule out a new variant emerging down the line with new interventions being required. I very much hope that will not be the case."
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