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Inter-county travel will be allowed until January 6 despite the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) recommending that it be banned three days after Christmas.
The government is also expected to allow restaurants and pubs to stay open until December 30.
Social visits to family homes will be reduced to just one home on the same date according to plans to be discussed by Cabinet on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Nphet recommended shutting down the hotel sector and banning more than one home visit from December 28.
Medical Director Tony Holohan’s team also said county-to-county travel should be banned the same day out of fear of the increasing spread of the coronavirus.
However, a senior government source said yesterday that the Cabinet is likely to stick to plans to allow people to travel across the country until January 6, which is Nollaig na mBan.
Following negotiations with the hotel industry, restaurants and pubs that serve food are expected to stay open until December 30.
Concerns about the impact of New Year’s celebrations on the spread of the virus mean that they will be closed for at least the first holiday in January.
Non-essential retail stores, gyms, and personal services like hair salons and barbers are expected to remain open throughout the new year.
Hotels are also in line to stay when new hospitality restrictions take effect.
Nphet did not set a date for the reopening of restaurants and pubs.
But several high-level government sources said the decision to reopen the hotel sector will depend on the rate of the virus in the coming weeks.
A senior cabinet source said they expected the situation to be monitored every two weeks.
Another senior government source said they saw no restrictions being imposed for six weeks as decided in Northern Ireland.
Yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that Nphet is proposing “significant restrictions” on hospitality and that the government is “very willing” to accept the advice.
“There is a wish [by] Nphet to avoid exacerbating that further with New Year’s Eve given what happened with Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, ”he added.
He acknowledged that it is “very serious” for the hospitality sector and said that the Government is willing to support them “during this very, very difficult period.”
Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar said he has been contacted by people seeking clarity for companies regarding ordering or canceling shares and what to say to employees.
It comes as six additional deaths were reported yesterday and the number of daily cases rose to 582, up from 484 the day before.
There was a drop in Covid-19 patients in the hospital from 200 to 198, but the number of seriously ill patients in intensive care increased from 31 to 34.
Dr. Tony Holohan said the data is further proof that the situation is getting worse faster than expected.
He said that the level of infection is “deteriorating day by day.”
He warned that the country simply cannot cope with this level of infection as we approach Christmas week.
With vaccines offering hope in the coming months for our most vulnerable groups, we want to keep them alive and healthy so they can receive it.
“Each of us must do everything possible to protect public health: cut off contacts, see only those we need to see.
Choose to socialize safely outdoors if possible. If you see a crowd, avoid it. “
He said that by acting together safely now, people can limit the impact of the disease in the weeks and months to come, protecting the vulnerable and preventing unnecessary deaths.
Yesterday’s cases included 193 in Dublin, 59 in Wexford, 47 in Louth, 42 in Meath, 34 in Cork, and the remaining 207 were spread across all the remaining counties.
When asked last night to comment on the proposed new restrictions after Christmas, infectious disease consultant Professor Sam McConkey said he didn’t think people would try to make as many visits to pubs and restaurants as possible between now and after. Christmas.
“I think most people are basically sensible,” he said. “I think it is better for the government to be direct and notify these companies because they must be notified: they have to buy food and beverages and perishable products.
Meanwhile, yesterday it emerged that the Republic is in line to obtain a higher portion of the Modern Covid-19 vaccine, which should be available in early January, following an agreement with the EU.
Instead of around 800,000 doses of vaccines, Ireland will be entitled to 1.6 million throughout 2021.
Irish independent
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