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Micheal Martin has said that we are likely to enter “a variation of Level Three” next month in the lead up to Christmas.
Ireland’s Tier Five lockdown will end on December 1.
However, there is uncertainty about what the next steps will be, with Martin under pressure from Fianna Fail’s colleagues earlier this week to move to Level Two.
But the Taoiseach told the Irish Independent today that Level Three is likely to be changed next month, although it added that “nothing is set in stone.”
He continued, “What is Christmas about? Family reunion with family. In my own situation, every Christmas my twin brother comes with his family and we have dinner together at Christmas.
“I don’t think we’ll have that this year, I don’t think we’ll have multiple families [to one home] and multiple calls. But I also keep an open mind about what will happen on the specific days of Christmas.
“We have to be practical. We understand the psychological importance of this period. We will strike the right balance. Saying that, we don’t want to be in January where we were in October. If we all observe our behavior, I can do a lot.”
The leader of Fianna Fail also refused to clarify the rules for traveling home at Christmas, saying the government “would make a more informed call at the end of the month.”
It comes after Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan issued a warning tonight about a “troubling development” in our battle against the virus.
Another 378 cases were announced in Ireland tonight, while one more person sadly passed away from Covid-19.
Dr. Holohan said: “The 5-day average daily case count is increasing and now exceeds 400 per day. This is a worrying development that has continued in recent days. We are seeing a number of things that concern us.
“There are examples of small numbers of people congregating for social purposes and simply ignoring important public health messages. They are putting our collective progress at risk.
“We are also seeing several outbreaks across the country.
“These include outbreaks associated with funerals. We understand that this is a difficult time for families, but it is truly important that we do everything we can to avoid circumstances that promote transmission of the virus.”
“There have also been outbreaks associated with work environments. As we enter a new work week, we must stay home for non-essential reasons and for personal exercise within 5km. Anyone who can work from home should work from home. “
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