UP to six members of a family are to be allowed to meet indoors in NI for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions came into force.
The move is due to be confirmed by the Stormont Executive later today.
Ministers are also discussing the 2 metre (6ft) distancing guidance, funding for childcare and school dinners, as well as the use of face coverings.
The hospital sector says 2 metre social distancing guidance would mean they could operate at only 50 per cent capacity.
However, if it was reduced to 1 metre then they could operate at 70 per cent.
Under current lockdown rules, people in the North of Ireland are allowed to gather outside in groups of 10.
But visiting people indoors in their own homes is only permitted for adults who live alone, who can form a “support bubble” with one other household.
DUP junior minister Gordon Lyons said he believed the transmission of the virus was low enough to enable the executive to approve limited indoor gatherings.
“Obviously we’re going to wait to hear the advice, we’ve been guided by that all along and we should continue to do that though I do hope the decision can be made,” he told BBC’s Inside Politics Q&A programme.
“We want to minimise the spread of the disease and open up family contact where we can, so I hope there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
He added that the executive will “watch with interest” an expected announcement by Boris Johnson to reduce social distancing rules in England, with some conditions.
“I hope we will be able to do that soon,” he said.
“I do think it’s right we start to move into how we can reduce social distancing, but we also need to be wary of the effects of doing so.”
Places of worship in the North of Ireland, which are currently only open for private prayer, have been told they can provisionally reopen on a wider basis from Monday, June 29.
Preparations are already under way to restart public church services.
Local hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen from Friday, July 3, while hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons will be able to reopen on Monday, July 6.
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