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Leo Varadkar has warned that the adoption of new restrictions in Dublin could be a “death sentence” for some companies.
The Tánaiste denied that Dublin received “special treatment” after immediate level 3 restrictions were avoided under new government covid-19 plans, despite the high number of cases.
Mr. Varadkar warned that “Dublin is our capital. The tightening of restrictions (in the previously blocked counties) had a severe impact on business. “
And the “scale of that” would be “ten times” worse in Dublin, he explained.
“I am well aware of what it would mean if people were laid off for the second time this year and the hospitality industry is fixing itself.
“A later closure could be the coup de grace for them.”
Mr. Varadkar said he understood that some people “have to come to the capital to work or to attend an appointment at the hospital.
“But we are telling people across the country to work from home and not take trips outside of Dublin.
“If you have to go to work or to care for someone who is different.”
However, the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment even hinted that Dublin could move to level 4, if the figures are not controlled.
“If we go to level three or four in the next… week, those (restrictions) may apply.
“We will have a better idea on Thursday,” he added.
“The numbers in Dublin are not good. They are lower than Belfast and Madrid but in Ireland we have been more cautious than other countries.
“It is not so much the numbers but the trajectory that worries us.
“It is starting to affect the number of people in the ICU and the deaths are going in the wrong direction.”
NPHET will make a recommendation to the government on Thursday about the steps it believes should be taken in Dublin.
That decision will then be considered by the new Covid-19 oversight group.
Mr. Varadkar said the NPHETs are “brilliant” but they had no experience in managing the economy.
The government is expected to make an announcement in Dublin on Tuesday, but it could come earlier with an earlier cabinet meeting, Varadkar explained.
Mr. Varadkar responded to Today FM listeners’ concerns that Dublin had received a lighter touch approach compared to Kildare, Offaly and Laois, blocked last month.
Yesterday’s Covid-19 figures showed that Dublin is following a continuous upward trend, with 357 cases and three more deaths.
However, the government’s new Living with Covid roadmap has kept the capital in level 2 restrictions along with the rest of the country.
There are indications that this could soon be increased to 3, if the upward trajectory continues.
“He’s not getting special treatment,” Varadkar told the Dermot and Dave show.
“You will have to make a decision in the next (number of) days or weeks …”
The minister explained that the Dublin cases are much more widespread than in Kildare, Offaly and Laois.
But he warned that any move toward more restrictions could have serious consequences for the capital’s economy.
And he added that it was “possible ”that the Dublin regions could be restricted, rather than the entire county, although this would be more difficult to do.
“Looking at Dublin, everything is high,” he said. “There is only one area where it is low. The area from Blackrock to the coast along Bray. That would be the only area I could consider excluding. “
The tánaiste said: “We are trying to continue suppressing the virus to manageable levels and reopen schools … to make it more complicated.”
All households will receive information on the roadmap plan through their doors, he said, to help the country understand what is expected for the next six to nine months.
“Get together with just one other household in Dublin,” Varadkar said, noting that this included when attending a pub or restaurant.
“The positive side is that people will be able to watch games this weekend, but on the negative side the (wet) pubs will not open on Monday.
“We really need to restrict social contact, so don’t meet with more than one household.”
On a lighter note, Varadkar said he would be celebrating if a vaccine were introduced in the coming months.
“I tell you that if things go back to normal next year, I will go to all the festivals …
“Steal my Sunshine by Len would be my throwback … I had plans for Dua Lipa but I doubt she will come.”
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