The Northern Ireland Executive has announced plans to remove restrictions on hospitality at the end of October. The need for cafés pubs and restaurants to have one metre social distancing will go.
Businesses had said the rules were capping customer capacity and making trade unviable. Nightclubs will also be allowed to reopen and dancing will be allowed again.
Between now and the end of the month there'll be talks with the industry about a system of voluntary checks on patrons’ Covid status.
These will focus on proof of full vaccination, a negative lateral flow test or proof of a Covid infection within the previous 180 days.