Covid-19 restrictions are being eased in Northern Ireland today, with hairdressers and beauty salons allowed to reopen for the first time since St Stephen's Day.
Visits to outdoor attractions and the resumption of competitive sport for affiliated clubs can also resume without spectators.
Driving lessons and tests can also restart.
This time next week, all non-essential retail will open, beer gardens and outdoor unlicensed venues such as cafés will be back in business.
Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers have had many differences in recent months, but today they share the same ambition: a visit to the hairdressers.
"Speaking for myself and watching these photographs going into people’s homes, they will know that I am very much looking forward to getting my hair cut and everything else that needs done to it," said First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster yesterday.
Deputy First Minister and Sinn Féin’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, said: "My natural hair colour has grown out so I think it’s time that I visit the hairdresser also, so I’m very much looking forward to that."
While the two leaders have often been at loggerheads in recent months, there were smiles and banter between them when discussing the Covid-19 relaxations during a visit to Cookstown in Co Tyrone.
Ms O’Neill remarked that her hair appointment this morning is in advance of an appearance with Ryan Tubridy on RTÉ's Late Late Show tonight.
"So it was all good timing for me," she said.
"Was that set up?" joked Ms Foster. "Is that why you wanted the hairdressers open tomorrow? It’s all coming out now, it’s all coming out now".
Reunited with my hairdresser, hope you've all got your appointments sorted too.
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) April 23, 2021
Best of luck to our hairdressers, barbers and close contact services reopening today! pic.twitter.com/uOoYUTlGeg
Outdoor retail such as garden centres, car showrooms, and car washes reopened last week.
In the next phase of relaxations, indoor hospitality, including bars and hotels, will be allowed to reopen from 24 May, with tables limited to a maximum of six people from two households.
The Stormont Executive has indicated that the date could be brought forward depending on case numbers and hospitalisations during the next few weeks.
Dr Gerry Waldron, Head of Health Protection at the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency, said people still need to exercise "care and attention" as Northern Ireland moves out of lockdown.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Dr Waldron said they are moving in the right direction as more of society reopens today, but added that they are "tentative steps to move closer towards normality".
He said the message for people is that despite the easing of restrictions they are being urged to remain careful as the virus is still out there and is highly transmissible.
"It wouldn't take much to get back into a bad place again," he said.
Dr Waldron said Northern Ireland is in a "very good place" regarding the vaccination roll-out with a large proportion of the most vulnerable now protected.
"We have over a million people vaccinated and a large number have received their second dose," he said.
He said it was particularly reassuring that the vast majority of those aged over 70 are vaccinated.
