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Ireland will introduce stricter coronavirus measures on Christmas Eve, with Prime Minister Micheal Martin claiming that the new variant is likely already circulating there.
Under the new restrictions, restaurants and gastronomic pubs will be forced to close at 3:00 p.m. on December 24.
Non-essential stores, as long as they do not accept the January sales, can remain open, along with gyms, leisure centers and individual exercise pools.
Current measures that allow three households to mix in a private home or garden will end on December 27 and other household visits will be allowed until December 31.
But people will be banned from mixing with other homes indoors and private gardens starting January 1.
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Non-essential stores can remain open as long as they do not have January sales
The new restrictions will last until January 12, Martin said at a news conference Tuesday.
He confirmed that inter-county travel will be banned after December 26 and the ban on travel to and from Britain will run until December 31.
People will be able to travel beyond their county until the end of December 26. Those who are away from their place of residence after Boxing Day will be able to return home.
While Ireland has managed to maintain its number of coronavirus Relatively low deaths compared to the rest of Europe, the virus is now growing by around 10% every day, he said.
“We still have no evidence that the new and most virulent strain of the virus is in our country, but the growth rate over the last week tells me that the safest and most responsible thing to do is to proceed with the assumption that it is already here,” he said. at the briefing.
The new restrictions – Ireland’s Tier 5 plan ‘living with COVID’ – were decided on Tuesday morning, in a “swift and aggressive” response to rising infection rates.
Mr. Martin said he is implementing them with “regret” but added: “It is important to remember that hope is real. There is light at the end of this tunnel.”
Ireland will soon receive 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and will begin distributing them to the most vulnerable of the population next week, he said at the press conference.
“Vaccinating millions of people will take time, and in the meantime, we must be vigilant,” he added.
Other changes to restrictions include hotels being able to stay open for essential, non-tourist purposes and for those that must check in until December 25.
Schools will remain open, elite sports can continue without spectators, and non-contact amateur physical activity can be carried out in groups of up to 15 outdoors, as before.
Religious services will run as planned until Christmas Day, after which time they will be back online, aside from individual worship.
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