Shops, restaurants and some pubs will reopen next week, green light for home visits at Christmas

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has confirmed that stores, restaurants, gyms and some pubs will reopen next week, and that his advice is that home visits will be allowed at Christmas.

In a national speech tonight, Martin announced the Covid-19 restrictions that will replace Level 5, which has been in effect since October 22.

He said there had been a “massive national effort” to roll back the disease.

“It has not been easy. Many people and companies have made great sacrifices. And many more are totally fed up with Covid-19 and everything that has come with it over the last nine months. “

I understand that feeling. Very often I share it.

“It’s mentally draining,” he said. He said it can be easy to forget the magnitude of what we are fighting for; a virus that has killed more than 3,000 people on this island.

That is a terrible price. And behind that number, there are many thousands of partners, children, brothers and friends who are grieving. There are also many people who still struggle with the symptoms and aftermath of Covid. We remember them; and the efforts and sacrifices we have made throughout this year honor them.

He said the encouraging news is that those sacrifices are working and “lives have been saved.”

The Taoiseach said the country will move to Level 3 starting December 1, with some modifications.

Starting next Tuesday, December 1, shops, hair salons, gyms, libraries, galleries and cinemas will reopen. People will be allowed to use the tennis courts and golf courses, and religious services will also be allowed to resume.

From Friday December 4, restaurants and pubs with on-site kitchens will reopen, but with additional restrictions than before. Hotels may also open for diners indoors.

Pubs that only serve alcohol will not be able to reopen before Christmas, but will still be able to serve take out drinks.

From Friday December 18, restrictions on home visiting will be removed from the ban on home visiting, to allow two households to visit a third. Inter-county travel will also be allowed from this date, through January 6.

As of January 7, the measures implemented before December 18 will be applied, subject to continuous review of the virus’s trajectory.

People are advised to continue working from home unless it is absolutely necessary for them to attend in person. The Taoiseach said it was also agreed that the use of face masks is now recommended in crowded workplaces, places of worship and in busy or crowded outdoor spaces where there is a significant congregation.

Earlier this week, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) had advised the government not to reopen restaurants and pubs that serve food before Christmas. Although the government ignored this advice, it is understood that it informed decisions about home visits over a two-week period during Christmas.

The Irish government warns that there should be no hugs or handshakes with people at Christmas, and that people should wear a mask while visitors finish.

– With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.