The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made: at 8.00 p.m. on 8th April 2021

Laid before the Assembly: at 9.00 a.m. on 9th April 2021

Coming into operation: 9th April 2021

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

These Regulations may be cited as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 and shall come into operation on 9th April 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, in the definition of “enclosed shopping centre”, omit “enclosed”.

• (3) In regulation 3, after “the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020” insert “and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020”.

• (4) After regulation 4B insert—

(4C) (1) A person (other than a person leading a service) entering or remaining within a place of worship or a place where beliefs are practised, must, unless there is a reasonable excuse, wear a face covering. (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a couple at a ceremony to solemnise their marriage or to form their civil partnership. (3) A person providing a close contact service as defined in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 must wear, and take reasonable steps to ensure that a person receiving the service wears, a face covering unless— (a) a person has a reasonable excuse not to do so, or (b) it is necessary not to wear a face covering due to the nature of the service.

• (5) In regulation 6 (Enforcement of requirement), after sub-paragraph (8)(b)(ii), insert—

(iii) insofar as it relates to the enforcement of regulation 4, operators of a passenger transport service and their employees and agents.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health at 8.00 pm on 8th April 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 require members of the public to wear face coverings whilst inside a church or other premises where beliefs are practiced, in order to protect against the risks to public health arising from coronavirus. They replace provisions originally made in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.

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