[ad_1]
Schools and daycare centers will remain open under strict new Covid-19 restrictions that are being considered by the government.
The abinet ministers also hope to allow elite sports such as the GAA championship and horse racing to continue when a series of new rules are introduced aimed at stopping the spread of the virus.
However, new travel restrictions may prohibit people from traveling more than 5km or 10km from home.
Bars, restaurants, gyms, swimming pools and most stores may be required to close.
Home visits will be banned, but people will be allowed to expand their domestic bubble to include close relatives, isolated people and people in need of care.
An eviction ban will also be introduced to coincide with any new measures restricting travel within counties to ensure that people cannot be removed from their homes during a second lockdown.
This morning, the three government leaders, along with ministers and senior officials, will meet with Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan and HSE Chief Paul Reid.
The strictest measures will be a merger of Level 4 and Level 5 restrictions established in the Government’s Living with Covid-19 strategy.
They are expected to reject Nphet’s suggestion of a six-week lockdown, and instead spend three to four weeks with a review at the end of the period.
Construction sites and manufacturing businesses are expected to remain open along with other essential services and shops.
Home visits will continue to be prohibited and people may be asked to stay within 10 km of their home. Ministers are also considering 5 km, but this can be increased to 10 km to allow families to travel further with children during the mid-term school holidays.
A “social bubble” system will be introduced to ensure that people are not isolated during a second lockdown. It will be based on the New Zealand model, which allows people to expand their family bubble to connect with close family members, bring in caregivers or support isolated people.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris told RTÉ’s The Week in Politics that he is in favor of introducing social bubbles. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Culture Minister Catherine Martin are understood to have advocated for the system.
The government is not expected to use the term “bubble”, but will introduce a similar system.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien plans to reintroduce a moratorium on evictions to coincide with movement restrictions. He’s working with Attorney General Paul Gallagher to introduce a ban similar to the one announced during the first shutdown. He insists on new legislation that would ensure that people are not forced to leave their homes during the restrictions.
O’Brien hopes to make the ban into law, which would make the eviction moratorium automatically take effect if more severe travel restrictions are introduced.
Government leaders and high-level ministers held a four-hour meeting on Saturday with Dr. Holohan, his deputy, Dr. Ronan Glynn, and Mr. Reid.
They discussed the various aspects and impacts of a second blockade before another meeting that will take place today. This will be followed by a full cabinet meeting.
On Saturday, ministers heard that child welfare referrals had dropped during the first lockdown, while calls for domestic violence increased.
They were also told that the situation with hospital intensive care beds is worrisome, but not yet critical.
The number of people in hospital carts today is not far from a normal October, they were told.
They also considered the effect of more severe coronavirus restrictions on businesses and employment.
Plans are also underway to ensure that the recently announced Covid-19 Restriction Support Scheme (CRSS), which is not yet operational, can roll back if new restrictions are announced this week.
Irish independent
[ad_2]