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Gardaí will receive new powers to fine people who celebrate house parties or violate travel restrictions under new measures agreed by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
Fines of € 60 are being considered for people who violate the 5 km restrictions that will take effect on Thursday.
A similar fine is also being considered for those who refuse to wear face masks in public areas such as shops and public transportation.
During the first confinement in March, people could be prosecuted in the District Court and punished with up to six months in prison and a fine of 2,500 euros for violating traffic restrictions that ranged from 2 to 20 km in various stages.
Under the proposed system, which is being discussed by Ministers, those who break the limit can receive a fixed-charge penalty notice, similar to a speeding ticket. Anyone making a nonessential trip more than 5 km from home could face the penalty.
Failure to pay the fee would result in mounting fines and eventually a court appearance and possible criminal conviction.
People who do not wear a mask on public transportation or in retail establishments will also face fines under the new legislation.
According to the new plans, gardaí can also knock on a door and break a house party, but they cannot enter the house. Instead they will ask the owner to break up the party and if they refuse to do so they will be fined a flat fee notice.
Also, if a person is seen loitering in the area and the Gardaí suspects that they are going to a party at the house, officers may ask the person to leave the area. If the person refuses, they will be fined.
Sources confirmed the move when ministers meet this afternoon to discuss fines for breaking the rules as the country heads to Level 5 of the Government’s plan to live with Covid-19 and a six-week lockdown.
Gardaí will be responsible for issuing the fines. They are expected to be directed to take a gradual approach, similar to that taken during the previous shutdown. Those who violate the 5km restrictions or refuse to wear a mask will be encouraged to comply before enforcement action is taken.
Cabinet also agreed that the number of funeral attendees will be increased to 25 under Level 5 restrictions. It was previously agreed on Monday that the limit would be 10, but at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was agreed to increase the number online. with the numbers allowed at weddings.
After days of warnings from senior public health officials about the continued spread of Covid-19, the government on Monday night reversed its previous stance and announced the introduction of Level 5 restrictions for the entire state until December 1.
Under the Tier 5 plan, schools and daycare centers will remain open, as will construction sites and manufacturing, but non-essential retail businesses and services, such as the barber shop, will be forced to close, plunging dozens. of thousands of people in unemployment and it will cost you the treasure. hundreds of millions of euros in lost taxes and social benefits.
Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan on Tuesday urged everyone to behave in “a way” that reduces the levels of Covid-19 infection.
The new restrictions were necessary to protect schools and childcare services, to protect people’s health and to protect the health service, he told RTÉ radio’s News at One.
Dr. Holohan added that if the country was reduced to less than 100 cases a day by December 1, then “we will have achieved what we set out to do.”
Questions and Answers: Life Below Level 5: What will the next six weeks be like?
Last night, another 1,031 confirmed Covid-19 cases reported by Nphet brought the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 50,993, less than eight months after the first case of the virus was recorded in Ireland.
As of 8pm Monday, there were 300 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland’s hospitals and 32 in intensive care. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the hospital’s figure had risen to 315 with the ICU the same.
In a televised address to the country from government buildings last night, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that while restrictions in recent weeks have “slowed the spread of the virus, this has not been enough and more action is now required.”
The decision was announced after a cabinet meeting held on short notice yesterday gave its approval to the measure, although not without some dissent from ministers. The measures go into effect Wednesday night at midnight, through Thursday morning.
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