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The cabinet is discussing tonight a proposal for nationwide restrictions on home visiting and to move Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal to Level 4 of the Government’s Living with Covid plan.
It is understood that moving to the highest level of domestic restrictions at Level 3 is being considered for the entire country, however, no decision has been made. Under the Living with Covid plan, Level 3 allows “visitors from another home only or only from one’s own home”, with the precise guideline to be determined by “prevailing public health councils for the county or other defined geographic area.” The Tier 4 institution in the three counties would be established through November 10.
A memorandum submitted to Cabinet tonight recommends that action be taken in all three counties amid concerns about rising infections in the border region and Northern Ireland, which instituted a period of restrictions earlier today in an effort for stopping the growth of the virus there.
Under Level 4, visitors are not allowed into homes and indoor gatherings and events are prohibited, wet pubs can remain open, but limited to a maximum of 15 people, and only outdoors. Public transportation is reduced to 25 percent of its capacity and the recommendation is that it be avoided and used only for essential workers or for essential purposes.
There were 1,095 new cases and five more deaths reported in the state by the National Public Health Emergency team (Nphet) on Wednesday.
The 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 is 190.7 nationally, according to Nphet. The highest rates are in Cavan at 571 per 100,000, Monaghan 360 per 100,000 and Donegal at 353.7 per 100,000. Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan described the situation as “extremely worrying.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said schools will remain open despite the decision to close them in the north.
When asked about people crossing the border to access alcohol given the new 8pm restriction in the north, Donnelly said he believed people would be “in trouble” to convince authorities that a “trip to the office “counted as an essential trip.
Earlier, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar confirmed that the government is likely to consider increasing coronavirus restrictions in border counties when the North enters a four-week lockdown.
Northern Ireland will enter an intensive period of restrictions for four weeks, Northern Prime Minister Arlene Foster confirmed at the Stormont Assembly on Wednesday.
With the incidence of Covid-19 continuing to spiral and with pressure on hospital beds, Ms Foster told members of the Assembly that the hospitality sector will be shutting down for four weeks starting Friday, while that schools will close for two weeks from Monda.
Ms Foster made her announcement one day when the North’s health department reported a record 1,217 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic outbreak to 23,115. There were four more deaths, bringing the total to 602.
There are now 164 people receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland hospitals, 24 in intensive care units and 17 of them on ventilators.
Under the new rules, take-out and deliveries will be allowed, but pubs and restaurants must close for a four-week period, Ms. Foster said.
The sale of alcohol outside of licenses and supermarkets will not be allowed after 8pm.
Churches can remain open, but weddings and civil associations will be limited to 25 people. No receptions will be allowed. This will apply from Monday.
Funerals will be limited to 25 people with no pre-funeral or post-funeral meetings.
No indoor sports of any kind or organized non-elite contact sports will be allowed.
Gyms may remain open for individual training only. Universities will be advised to provide “distance education to the greatest extent possible”.
Ms. Foster also told the Assembly that the retail sector will remain open. However, he added that “the opening of close contact services, such as hairdressers and estheticians, apart from those related to the continuation of essential health interventions and therapies, is not allowed.”
He hoped that more support measures for those affected would be agreed at another meeting of the North Executive on Thursday.
“We understand that these interventions will be difficult but will not be in place for a moment longer than necessary. I would ask everyone to work with us to save lives and protect our health service, ”Ms. Foster said.
Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill added: “We know this is difficult and that people will be really concerned about their livelihoods, but we will do everything we can to make sure there are protections for families, workers and businesses.”
Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Michael McGrath said the government will do everything it can to keep schools open, even though there is a provision in Level 5 that they could close if advised to do so for public health reasons .
Meanwhile, the Irish College of General Practitioners clinical leader on Covid, Dr Mary Favier, warned that it is inevitable that the government will need to introduce more restrictions to address Covid-19. Dr Favier said the coronavirus was doubling, causing a “knock-on” impact on health services.
Dr Favier told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland on Wednesday that more needed to be done to stop the virus quickly and that there was very little time to decide on the additional restrictions needed.
Stronger Covid rules for three to four weeks would have an impact on the numbers, Dr. Favier said.
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