The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made: at 2.30 p.m. on 27th July 2021

Laid before the Assembly: at 4.00 p.m. on 27th July 2021

Coming into operation in accordance with regulation 1(2) and (3)

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.

Citation and commencement

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021.

• (2) These Regulations shall come into operation at 6pm on 27th July 2021.

Amendment of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

2

• (1) The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020[^f00003] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), at the appropriate place insert—

• “vehicle testing centre” and “vehicle examiner” have the meaning given by Articles 73 and 74 of The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;
• “vehicle” has the meaning given by Article 3(1) of The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

• (3) In regulation 4A(2)—

• (a) in sub-paragraph (g) for “by a person leading a service in a place of worship or a place where beliefs are practised” substitute “by a person in a place of worship or a place where beliefs are practised during an act of worship, except when entering or leaving the premises”;

• (b) after sub-paragraph (i) insert—

(j) by a vehicle examiner in a vehicle testing centre, unless present in a vehicle with a member of the public.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health at 2.30 pm on 27th July 2021

Dr Naresh Chada — A senior officer of the Department of Health

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 in order to remove the requirement to wear a face covering in a place of worship or a place where beliefs are practised, and enable vehicle examiners in a vehicle testing centre to remove their face coverings except when in a vehicle with a member of the public.

No regulatory impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: Formerly the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety; see 2016 c. 5 (N.I.), s. 1(5)

[^f00002]: 1967 c. 36 (N.I.). Part 1A was inserted by section 48 of, and Schedule 18 to, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7)

[^f00003]: S.R. 2020 No. 151 as amended by S.R. 2020 Nos. 164, 220, 233 and 253 and S.R. 2021 Nos. 96, 131 and 216