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Covid-19 threw another cloud over sunny Dublin today with people in the capital waking up to the new antivirus measures.
The county is caught in a spiral of infection, and many people have become confused as to whether additional measures against Covid 19 amount to advice or instructions.
Travel outside of Dublin
Yesterday people were encouraged to limit travel outside the county. Later, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that people could leave the county. Taoiseach Micheál Martin last night provided more clarity when asked what a person should do if they have booked a stay. He urged them to cancel it.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told RTÉ this morning that “if possible” and until the number of cases in Dublin begins to decline, the advice remains that people in Dublin should not travel outside the county.
So while the measure falls short of instruction, that could happen if Dublin enters Tier 3, there is great pressure on people who have non-essential trips planned outside of Dublin to stay home. Work and education would be essential even at level 3.
At the center of the measure is the need to stop the spread of the virus: the more people move, the greater the risk of contagion.
Travel to Dublin City
People who intend to come to the capital for discretionary visits should also stay away for now.
Weddings and other gatherings
Couples have booked their weddings in the city, and under Level 2 restrictions, up to 50 people can attend. There were no restrictions on the weddings mentioned yesterday.
If Dublin goes up to level 3, the number of people allowed at weddings could drop to 25, so it’s something people should be on the lookout for.
This morning, Mr. Donohue was asked about couples from the capital who intend to marry outside of the county, and he discouraged them from moving forward.
During the summer, several reports emerged about the spread of infections at weddings. If any of the people attending the event are from a county with a high incidence of the disease, this increases the chances that someone will contract it.
Obviously, this is a difficult situation for the bride and groom, and each family would have to exercise their own discretion.
Home visities
As of today, people in Dublin should have no more than six visitors to their home at a time and the gathering should be limited to people from another home. Therefore, a meeting that includes people from more than one household should not be held.
The more people limit their contacts, the less chance there is for people to transmit the virus to each other.
Travel to Europa
The so-called green list of countries, to which people can travel and not be obliged to restrict their movements when returning home, will be updated next week. This list will include countries such as Germany, Iceland, and Cyprus.
The green list will be abandoned next month. Instead, Ireland will opt for a new EU “traffic light” system, where countries will be ranked according to Covid rates. It will mean more testing of airline passengers.
The new EU plan is expected to be ratified in Luxembourg on October 13, at the monthly meeting of the EU General Affairs Council. The plan will see designated countries in green, amber and red based on the severity of the risk.
Until then, countries where Covid-19 cases are less than 25 per 100,000 inhabitants will be on our green list. The countries to be included starting Monday will be announced later this week.
Go to the pub or restaurant
If you go to a pub or restaurant, you should not meet people from more than one household and the group should be kept to six. The so-called ‘wet pubs’, those that only serve alcohol, cannot open.
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