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The restaurant and pub restrictions are expected to be central to discussions between the government and public health officials next week as the plan to break out of the Level 5 lockdown is finalized.
High-level sources involved told The Irish Times that indoor hospitality is “a key battlefield” in upcoming discussions.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that he wants Ireland to get out of Level 5 of the Covid-19 restrictions on December 1.
However, he said that this Christmas will be very different from previous ones in that large groups of people could not congregate in pubs or other venues.
“That will pose challenges for us. It won’t be a normal Christmas, but it can still be a safe and enjoyable Christmas if we care about ourselves and each other, “he told Virgin Media News.
When asked about easing travel restrictions, he replied: “We would like to see some relaxation of the 5 km and county borders.”
The government is expected to finalize the plan to get out of lockdown and handle the pandemic during December by the end of next week.
Certainty
Restaurant owners are asking for more information on what’s to come in December so they can order stock, hire staff and prepare for the reopening.
Speaking to The Irish Examiner, Mike Ryan, who operates restaurants in Cork and Limerick, said the industry needs certainty.
“If we can open with an indoor dining room or not, it will determine how many employees we need, how many supplies, so we need that clarity,” he said.
“We don’t want to rehire workers just to put them back in the PUP [pandemic unemployment] I pay a week later. “
Ireland
Taoiseach: Exiting level 5 will be ‘very challenging …
Meanwhile, the National Public Health Emergency Team reported another eight deaths and 330 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday.
This brings the total number of deaths and 69,802 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland to 2,018.
The new figures also suggest that the number of healthcare workers contracting Covid-19 in the second wave of the virus is considerably lower than in the first wave, according to a report from the Center for Health Protection Surveillance.
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