[ad_1]
The Government has announced a nationwide ban on home or garden visits in almost all circumstances, except for care for children or the elderly and vulnerable people.
It has also announced that Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal will move to level 4 of the government’s Living with Covid plan from midnight Thursday through November 10.
Under Level 4, people must not have home visits, the maximum number of wedding attendees is six, non-essential retail stores will close, and all non-essential workers must work from home, said Taoiseach Micheál Martin while announcing the movement. He said construction and manufacturing will remain in proper condition.
Under the new restrictions for Level 3 counties, people will be able to gather in groups of up to six people from up to two households in outdoor settings away from home and garden, while maintaining social distancing, including for exercise and eat. The existing exemption that allows club championship games to be played behind closed doors has been removed and sports teams will be told they cannot train unless social distancing is observed.
Mr Martin said that the new Level 3 status has been in the palace for a week and the Government is studying infection patterns, as Level 3 may have a “significant impact” on the spread of the disease.
“There are concerns regarding the full implementation of Tier 3,” he said, including people entering the workplace, slipping into personal and retail services, and people going to others’ homes.
Mr. Martin said, “I know how difficult this is for everyone and I understand the deep frustration people feel.”
“We are on a journey with this virus and we have reached a difficult point on that journey,” Martin said. He said the number of infections is “too high.”
He said the data from Northern Ireland is “enormously worrying” and that discussions with Stormont will continue in the coming days.
He said the figures in the Republic were also “very worrying” with 190 cases per 100,000 nationally, in Monaghan 360 Donegal 353 and Cavan 571. The implications for local hospitals and public health “are obvious and very serious.”
“We are living in difficult times and things can get worse before they get better,” he said.
“It will pass. We will get out of this pandemic,” he said.
Private homes
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “We know that much, if not most, of Covid transmission occurs in private homes.”
“Sometimes people associate that with house parties, but it’s not just that,” he said, and said they were family gatherings and friends who came for a drink or a cup of coffee. “
“All those things have to stop,” he said.
He said that the new Covid Restrictions Support Scheme will be available and retroactive to the budget day, and requests from the three counties to be placed at Level 4 will be prioritized, and will apply to businesses such as hairdressers who have to
“There will be thousands” laid off in the coming days, he said, with pandemic unemployment pay available. “We will try to get you back to work as soon as possible”
“The coronavirus is on the march,” he said, adding “that more counties are more likely to go to Level 4 than the other way around.”
Mr. Martin said the measures will have a significant economic impact, noting that an additional 20,000 people entered pandemic unemployment pay after Level 3 restrictions were introduced. He said he did not regret the decision not to move to the Level 5 when recommended by Nphet.
if people adapt and change their behavior ‘of course we can have a good Christmas and a pleasant Christmas’
Schools in the affected counties will remain open, although working from home for non-essential trades will be strongly encouraged, he said. The Taoiseach said the midterm hiatus will remain at one week. Weddings planned for the upcoming weekend will be allowed to continue.
He said that people within the three counties may travel for work and education and for essential purposes, but will be asked to exercise their judgment and discretion in doing so. He said additional sanctions designed to improve enforcement are in the works, and they would be ready next week.
He said that Halloween was not canceled but that it would be “different” and that trick or treating would not be advisable and that no street parties of any kind should be held.
Regarding Christmas, he said that if people adapt and change their behavior “of course we can have a good Christmas and a pleasant Christmas”, but that it would be a “different Christmas”, adding that “until we have a vaccine normal life will not resume. ”.
Nphet
Earlier on Wednesday, public health sources expressed concern not only about the high level of infection in border counties, but throughout the country.
While there is evidence that level 3 is affecting the level of transmission in Dublin, it is not decreasing as fast as public health officials would like. Medical Director Tony Holohan, along with his deputy, Dr. Ronan Glynn, met with the oversight group led by Martin Fraser on Wednesday before the cabinet meeting was scheduled.
With the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) meeting tomorrow, it was expected that phased measures would be recommended.
There were 1,095 new cases and five more deaths reported in the state by Nphet on Wednesday.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, previously asked about people crossing the border to access alcohol given the new 8pm restriction in the north, Donnelly said he believed people would be “in trouble” to convince authorities that a “trip to the office” counted as an essential trip.
North Ireland
Northern Ireland will enter an intensive period of restrictions for four weeks, Northern Prime Minister Arlene Foster confirmed at the Stormont Assembly on Wednesday.
Under the new rules, take-out and deliveries will be allowed, but pubs and restaurants must close for a four-week period, Ms. Foster said.
The sale of alcohol outside of licenses and supermarkets will not be allowed after 8pm.
Churches can remain open, but weddings and civil associations will be limited to 25 people. No receptions will be allowed. This will apply from Monday.
Funerals will be limited to 25 people with no pre-funeral or post-funeral meetings.
[ad_2]