THERE will be a major easing of lockdown restrictions across the district from today.
A number of country parks, harbours, tennis courts and beach car parks will be reopened by Newry, Mourne and Down Council, but strict social distancing measures remain in place with the local authority warning that if they are not observed, the facilities will be closed.
The move to ease some lockdown measures comes after the local authority recently reopened the district’s household recycling centres.
But despite the easing of some measures, council campsites, public toilets and cafés across the district remain closed, while mobile vendors are also banned from trading at beaches and forest parks.
At last week’s online meeting between the council’s senior management team and the leaders of the local authority’s main parties, agreement to start easing some of the lockdown measures was agreed.
Also from today, mountain bike and horse riding trails and the car parks at Castlewellan Forest Park and Tollymore Forest Park will reopen.
Public access to the forest parks was agreed two weeks ago, but the car parks remained closed, sparking complaints from residents who live close to both facilities about the number of cars parked along approach roads, hampering sight lines which posed a health and safety risk.
Newry, Mourne and Down Council is taking direction from the Northern Ireland Executive on how it slowly starts to ease the lockdown, insisting that progress is determined by public health advice.
Two weeks ago, the NI Executive published a five-phase blueprint for lifting restrictions but it did not include a timeframe, insisting that it will be guided by scientific and medical advice before it agrees to lift any further restrictions.
Local politicians say that they are keen to seen the pathway to recovery progressed, but are reluctant to move too quickly as the virus still has a presence.
They are also conscious that with the warm weather predicted to stay, soaring temperatures could place pressure on the district’s hotspots where visitor numbers could increase, as was the case in Newcastle last weekend.
With the exception of people who are shielding, visits to immediate family are allowed indoors where social distancing is possible, with churches permitted to open for private prayer, with appropriate social distancing and cleaning of shared contact hard surfaces.
However, with groups of four to six people who do not share a household now able to meet outdoors while maintaining social distancing, the local authority feels it is time to allow access to beaches, country parks, harbours and tennis courts.
Politicians say they are conscious that easing the lockdown restrictions in one go could push up the all-important R-number, which measures the average rate of transmission.
Councillors say the last thing they want is for a situation to arise which would result in having to reimpose lockdown measures and lose the hard won gains that have been made to date.
Mournes councillor Willie Clarke and his Rowallane counterpart, Billy Walker, have welcomed the progress being made, but issued a reminder that there will be no lifeguard facilities at Tyrella beach. However, signs will be in place advising people where it is not safe to swim.
The politicians say that council staff will be on duty at beaches, country parks and harbours to ensure required social distancing measures are adhered to. In addition, the number of visitors at the various facilities will also be monitored, with staff carrying out regular cleaning duties.
Cllr Clarke confirmed that local authority staff will be present to engage with the public around guidelines on social distancing and facility information.
He said: “While these measures will no doubt be welcomed, I would encourage people to be responsible and show consideration for others by continuing to follow the public health guidelines on social distancing and hand hygiene.”
Cllr Walker said the past two months have been particularly difficult for people across the district.
“It has not been easy and we all hope that people will act responsibly when the beaches, country parks and harbours are reopened. The onus is on them to obey the rules in place which are designed to keep them safe and help prevent the spread of the virus,” he continued.
Cllr Walker said there were plans to put one-way systems in place, where appropriate, but that all public toilets would remain closed.
He added: “I hope that over the coming weeks other facilities will reopen. The fact that we can open beaches and country parks is as a result of local people’s commitment to stay at home to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We are making progress and for that to continue it is essential that people continue to adhere to public health advice. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.”