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A member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) says restrictions on indoor dining in pubs and restaurants may need to remain in effect for more than three weeks.
The Level Three measurements in Dublin mean that only places that do take out or have outdoor seating can remain open.
Professor Philip Nolan says there is clear evidence that the virus spreads when people gather indoors, in places like bars, restaurants and gyms.
“One in four cases across the country, one in three at least in Dublin, is community transmission and it is happening in these settings where people come together.
“Unfortunately, for the next few weeks at least, we are not going to have to have anyone gathered in those settings and for a few weeks thereafter.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced on Friday the decision to move Dublin to Level Three of the new Living with Covid-19 plan, limiting the number of people who can visit a home.
The restrictions also mean that spectators are not allowed at sporting events and people within the county are asked not to travel outside of Dublin unless for an essential reason.
The current restrictions must remain in effect until at least October 9.
Bodies representing the hospitality and tourism industry criticized the decision to impose further restrictions on Dublin’s businesses, saying that a small number of cases in Ireland identified bars and restaurants as the source of transmission.
In a series of tweets earlier this week, Professor Nolan explained how the delay in the onset of symptoms influences the source of transmission attributed to the cases.
It’s reasonable to ask: why close restaurants and pubs if there are so few outbreaks associated with those settings? However, this is a misinterpretation and interpretation of the outbreak and cluster data. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/REEUqoin12
– Professor Philip Nolan (@President_MU) September 18, 2020
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