The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Restrictions on movement

14.—(1) No person may leave or be away from the place where they normally live other than as permitted by the other provisions of these Regulations or paragraph (2) of this regulation.

(2) A person may leave or remain away from the place where they normally live for the purpose (where permitted by these Regulations) of—

(a) obtaining goods or services;

(b) obtaining or providing medical assistance, including to access dental services, opticians, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractors, osteopaths, sports massage therapy and other medical or health services, including services relating to mental health;

(c) accessing veterinary surgeons and pet shops;

(d) obtaining or providing care or assistance, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 2 to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007(1), to a vulnerable person, or to provide emergency assistance;

(e) donating blood;

(f) attending work or providing voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to do so from the place where they or members of their linked household normally live;

(g) attending a funeral;

(h) visiting a burial ground to pay respects to a member of the person’s household, family member or friend;

(i) fulfilling a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;

(j) providing or accessing critical public services including youth services, childcare, social care, services provided by the Department for Communities, services provided to victims (such as victims of crime) and services provided by a district council or other public body, including household waste or recycling centres;

(k) in relation to children who do not live in the same household as both or one of their parents, continuing existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children, and for the purposes of this paragraph “parent” includes a person who is not a parent of the child, but who has parental responsibility for, or who has care of, the child;

(l) in the case of a minister of religion or belief leader, going to their place of worship or place where they practice their beliefs;

(m) moving house and undertaking associated activities for that purpose, including visiting estate agents, viewing properties and making arrangements for removals;

(n) avoiding injury or illness or escaping a risk of harm;

(o) attending a place of worship or place where they practice their beliefs;

(p) taking part in an outdoor gathering or activity;

(q) attending to the care or welfare of animals, including to access animal care or welfare services, including boarding, stabling, grooming, exercising, sitting or training animals;

(r) attending or participating in a marriage ceremony or civil partnership ceremony;

(s) in the case of an elite athlete, or the parent of an elite athlete who is under the age of 18, attending or participating in a sporting event;

(t) visiting another person’s private dwelling, either alone or accompanied by others;

(u) obtaining basic necessities, including food and medical supplies for their household or their linked household;

(v) taking exercise;

(w) staying overnight as permitted by regulation 13;

(x) taking part in, or assisting with, a lawful sporting event in an indoor or outdoor sports facility; or

(y) accessing library services.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the place where a person normally lives includes a garden, yard, passage, stair, garage, outhouse or other appurtenance of or at that place.

(4) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person who is homeless.

(5) “Critical public services” includes—

(a) youth services or educational facilities (where these are available to a child or young person in relation to whom that person is the parent of, or has parental responsibility for or care of, the child);

(b) childcare provided by a person registered under the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 or childcare provided free of charge or for less than two hours per day;

(c) social care services;

(d) services provided by the Department for Communities;

(e) services provided to victims (such as victims of crime);

(f) services provided by a district council or other public body, including household waste or recycling centres.

(1)

S.I. 2007/1351 (N.I. 11)