Regulations made by the Department of Health and laid before the Assembly under section 25Q (Emergency procedure) of the Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967, for approval of the Assembly before the expiration of 28 days beginning with the day on which they are made.
Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland
Public Health
Made
at 7.00 p.m. on 17th December 2020
Laid before the Assembly
at 9.00 a.m. on 18th December 2020
Coming into operation in accordance with Regulation 1(2)
The Department of Health(1), makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 25C(1), (3)(c), (4)(d) and 25F(2) of the Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967(2).
These Regulations are made in response to the serious and imminent threat to public health which is posed by the incidence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Northern Ireland.
The Department of Health considers that the restrictions and requirements imposed by these Regulations are proportionate to what they seek to achieve, which is a public health response to that threat.
In accordance with section 25Q of that Act the Department of Health is of the opinion that, by reason of urgency, it is necessary to make these Regulations without a draft having been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Assembly.
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (Amendment No. 21) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.
(2) These Regulations come into operation at the time and on the date they are made.
2. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020(3) are amended in accordance with these regulations.
3. In the heading to Regulation 5, after “Restrictions on” insert “outdoor”.
4. In regulation 5(1) omit “indoor or”.
5. In the heading to Regulation 6, for “other” substitute “indoor”.
6. In Regulation 6(2), for “paragraph 5” substitute “paragraph 7”.
7. After regulation 6(2) insert-
“(2A) In an indoor venue
(a) each group at a table shall be deemed to be a separate gathering, if no entertainment is provided; and
(b) all the persons in a room shall be deemed to be a single gathering if entertainment is provided.
(2B) For the purposes of these Regulations, “entertainment” means
(a) any type of performance, live or otherwise; and
(b) dancing, singing or music or any other entertainment of a like kind.”
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 7.00pm on 17th December 2020
(L.S.)
Lourda Geoghegan
A senior officer of the Department of Health
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 by adding provisions in relation to entertainment venues.
No regulatory impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations.
Formerly the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety; see 2016 c. 5 (N.I.), s. 1(5)
1967 c. 36 (N.I.). Part 1A was inserted by section 48 of, and Schedule 18 to, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7)