The hospitality sector will face restrictions starting December 30, but inter-county travel will continue

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The restrictions on restaurants, food-serving pubs and other hospitality settings will not go into effect until December 30, the government will announce Tuesday.

At a meeting of Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan last night, it was agreed to circumvent the recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) to introduce such restrictions on December 28.

The two-day reprieve has been granted in recognition of the impact a third closure will have on restaurants.

The leaders also agreed to reject Nphet’s call to restrict inter-county travel before New Year’s Day, so people will still be able to move around the country until January 6.

“This is in recognition of the people who will be working during the Christmas Day portion of the holidays and to allow them to get home to see their families,” said a senior government source.

the Irish Examiner He has also confirmed that the Cabinet will approve the recommendation to reduce the number of visits allowed from other homes from three to one.

With regard to the hotel industry, as of December 30, establishments will return to take away food services, high government sources have said.

Pubs and restaurants may be closed to seated patrons well into January.

The hospitality industry has warned that thousands of jobs will be lost if forced to close for another prolonged period. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that the government is willing to support the sector if it has to close.

Yesterday another 582 cases and six deaths were confirmed across the state.

Dr. Tony Holohan, medical director, said the latest figures are further proof that the situation is getting worse “faster than we expected.”

“The country simply cannot cope with this level of infection as we approach Christmas week,” he said.

Micheál Martin said that the increasing number of Covid-19 cases during the last week means that restrictions need to be introduced before the New Year celebrations.

Meanwhile, the public’s hopes of finally escaping this summer are fading with the Taoiseach saying that it will likely be August before the general population can receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

Mr Martin said: “In January, February, you are looking for lower volumes of vaccines in Europe, but the priority then will be nursing home residents and healthcare workers.

“Picking in March and April, and then May, June, July will be very important months in which there will be very high volumes,” he said. “Then in the August period, you will have open access to the vaccine.”

A considerable part of Irish tourism and tourist destinations will be lost forever if the massive launch of the vaccine does not arrive until late summer, with Cork and Shannon airports particularly vulnerable, according to senior figures in the tourism industry and the travels.

Pat Dawson, executive director of the Irish Travel Agents Association, said attracting routes to and from Cork and Shannon would become more difficult the longer the launch of the vaccine dragged on.

“We need more competition in Shannon and Cork because they are dominated by two airlines,” he said. “It will be difficult to change and it will be a difficult year for aviation.

“We need to keep pace with Europe, or we are in danger of being left behind. Fewer routes mean higher prices for tourists.

“We have disproportionate capacity outside of Dublin so this is an opportunity to restart.”

A spokesman for the Dublin Airport Authority said Ireland cannot lag behind the rest of Europe when it comes to launching the vaccine program. The number of passengers at Dublin Airport has dropped by some 25 million so far this year.

The DAA stated: “The devastation that the Irish aviation sector has suffered has been felt across the country.

“Tourism is one of the most widespread sectors of the economy regionally. Dublin Airport supports and facilitates around 130,000 jobs, and tourism businesses in Ireland’s 32 counties have suffered from a lack of international visitors this year “.



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