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Ireland is moving to Level 3 restrictions as of Tuesday, with a number of exceptions as Christmas approaches.
Christmas visits
The Government is calling on the public to reduce in-person contact, wash hands regularly, keep fresh air circulating in homes, avoid crowds when shopping and cover your face.
Starting Friday, December 18, the Government will allow three homes to mingle for social and family gatherings in homes, gardens and other outdoor settings. This means that visits to other homes will be allowed, but still social distancing must be observed.
People are asked to plan in advance where they will spend Christmas and to limit their contacts during the holiday period and the period leading up to the big day.
Any visitor to someone else’s home must use disinfectant upon arrival. This means that people should avoid hugs, kisses, and handshakes when meeting with friends and family.
Crockery should not be shared and single-use alternatives are encouraged. Buffet food spreads should be avoided.
christmas shopping
Starting next Tuesday, retail can reopen and up to 50 people can gather at places of worship.
Online and click-and-collect services are still operational and people are encouraged to support local businesses and retailers.
Buyers are advised to stay within two meters of each other and try to shop outside of peak hours.
Starting Tuesday, face masks are recommended in busy workplaces, places of worship, and busy outdoor areas, such as main shopping streets.
Warm clothing is recommended in case of queuing outside, while public transport capacity will be increased to 50%.
Fáilte Ireland has drawn up guidelines to allow Santa’s visits to take place starting next week, while Minister Simon Coveney has reassured the children of Ireland that Santa is exempt from Covid-19 restrictions.
What has changed for the meetings?
Home visits will be allowed in the week before Christmas, but until then and under the measures that go into effect next week, members of separated households should not mix indoors.
This means that you should not visit anyone inside if they are not part of your support bubble.
However, up to six people from a maximum of two households can gather outside while maintaining physical distancing and organized gatherings, such as training events or arts events, of up to 15 people can take place in an outdoor setting.
More restrictions will be relaxed as part of the exceptions in the week before Christmas, but the country will still be considered at Level 3. This relaxation is designed to allow more people to mingle in social gatherings during the festive period.
Travel and work
Individuals must remain within their county, apart from work, education, and other essential purposes until December 18.
These restrictions will be eased on that date to allow people to travel across the country for two weeks until January 6.
Individuals should continue to work from home unless absolutely necessary to attend in person.
In terms of international travel, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar advised people to avoid returning home at Christmas, but all the rules on movement restrictions must be followed if travel is necessary for family reasons.
Go out for dinner
As of next Tuesday the reopening of museums, galleries and cinemas with protection measures will also be allowed.
Starting Friday, December 4, restaurants and pubs that serve hearty meals can reopen for indoor dining.
When dining out on Christmas, people continue to be advised to sanitize their hands when entering and leaving, to provide details for contact tracing, and to wear masks when moving around buildings.
There will be a limit of six people per table, but there is no limit to the number of households they can come from.
However, wet pubs can only provide delivery and takeaway services, while nightclubs and casinos will be closed.
Christmas day
It’s a good idea to bundle up this Christmas, as keeping homes ventilated by opening doors and windows whenever possible is key to tips on preventing transmission.
For Christmas dinner and any other meal, everyone involved is advised to wear masks when preparing and serving food. The number of people in the kitchen must also be limited.
When it comes to organizing meals and seating arrangements, social groups are encouraged to leave extra table space so that everyone feels safe and comfortable.
People from the same households should sit together and food should not be shared.
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