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More than 2,500 Garda members will be deployed as part of a police surge across the Republic in response to all parts of the state upgrading to Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions, with significant traffic congestion anticipated due to the impact. of the so-called super checkpoints.
Gardaí have said they believe that traffic congestion, especially at the approaches to Dublin and within the city and county, will be very heavy. They hoped the delays would be so long that they would discourage people from leaving their home county and encourage them to work from home.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said 132 permanent static checkpoints would be established on highways and other major arterial routes across the country, as well as thousands of mobile checkpoints erected for short periods before moving elsewhere. .
Speaking at Garda headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Tuesday, Mr. Harris said it was fair to warn people that traveling the country “would feel very different tomorrow.”
He said the checkpoints would see traffic channeled into a single lane on highways and other arterial routes across the country. This would mean that it would “be very difficult” for anyone taking road trips during Operation Fanacht for the next three weeks.
“You just have to look at what happens on any highway when it goes from two or three lanes to one. Delays are inevitable, ”Harris said, adding that he felt compelled to warn people in advance.
Execution powers
While Tánaiste Leo Varadkar suggested on Monday that new enforcement powers were being prepared for the Garda, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said Tuesday that no new enforcement measures are currently planned.
Harris said he didn’t think new powers were necessary. Gardaí would focus on “educating” people on the measures they are now required to comply with at Level 3.
Meanwhile, when the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) announced 432 new cases of Covid-19 and one additional death on Tuesday, Varadkar warned that a short and abrupt shutdown may still occur despite the government rejecting the advice. from Nphet to go to Level 5.
Sources present at a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Tuesday night said Varadkar warned that a switch closure could be on the horizon. He also said that there was a “break” in communication over the weekend between the government and Nphet.
“The chain of command was broken, but he did not elaborate on why,” said a TD present.
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