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The Government is finalizing its medium-term plan to live with Covid-19.
It will include five levels of measures to respond to increases or decreases in the level of infection.
Basic Covid-19 prevention measures, such as hand washing, face covering, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and social distancing, will apply at all levels of the plan.
The government seeks to strike a balance between keeping schools open and allowing businesses to run and getting people back to work.
The severity of the restrictions will depend on the rate of spread of the virus and the pressure the healthcare system is under.
Ministers are still considering the details of the plan, but here is what is known about the five tiers:
Level 1
This is the lowest risk level in the government’s plan and will apply when the number of cases of the disease is less than Ireland is currently experiencing.
There will continue to be restrictions on home visiting, with no more than 10 visitors allowed from three different homes.
Indoor meetings will be limited to 100 people and outdoor meetings to 200.
Exemptions to outdoor limits for sporting events are being considered, with the possibility that up to 500 people can attend a game in a venue with a capacity of 5,000 people. There is a chance that the numbers will increase at large arenas like Croke Park and Aviva, but no decisions have been made yet.
All pubs and restaurants will be open, albeit with social distancing and contact tracing measures to respond to any outbreaks.
Travel abroad would be opened according to a traffic light system for developed countries by the EU. COVID-19 testing at the point of origin may be necessary for people who come from countries that are on a red list.
Level 2
The country is now essentially at Level 2 of the Government’s plan. Ireland currently has a cumulative rate of 45.4 cases per 100,000 people during the last two weeks.
The number of visitors to a home is limited to six people from up to three different households.
Other indoor gatherings, like exercise and dance classes, are also limited to six people with social distancing.
Up to 50 people are allowed in cinemas, theaters and art galleries, and weddings can also be held with this number.
Outdoor meetings and events are limited to 15 people.
Sporting events are currently held behind closed doors, but this restriction may be eased to allow some spectators.
The pubs serving food and restaurants are open, and the so-called ‘wet pubs’ may open from next week, Monday, September 21.
Level 3
This is a more serious level of restriction and is likely to include measures to limit the movement of people. A mini lockdown was imposed on Kildare when it had 200 cases per 100,000 people, which may provide guidance on the threshold for Tier 3 measures to apply.
The number of visitors in a household will be limited to six people from just one other household. This measure is currently being considered for Dublin due to the increase in cases in the capital.
At Level 3, people will be asked to limit their travel to specific regions, which could be their own county or even specific areas of their county. The region will be defined by the authorities if the restriction is implemented. It is understood that Dublin can avoid such measures for now.
Restrictions may reappear at some companies. For example, in Kildare, Laois and Offaly last month, restaurants and pubs had to go back to take out only. The reopening of so-called ‘wet pubs’ in Dublin runs the risk of not happening given the current increase in cases.
There will be flexibility to impose the measures at different levels, but Dublin is expected to move towards at least some of the Level 3 restrictions.
Level 4
The second most severe level of restriction, Level 4, would see all home visits and indoor gatherings prohibited.
The Government’s priority at all levels of the ‘Living with Covid’ plan is to keep schools and daycare centers open, if possible, so that children are still in Level 4 classrooms.
Level 5
Under Level 5 restrictions, the country would effectively revert to the type of strict lockdown that began in late March and lasted until April and May.
It is likely to only be introduced if the virus spreads rapidly and uncontrollably in the community, putting pressure on the capacity of the health service.
There would be restrictions on movement along the lines of the 2 km and 5 km zones, and prohibitions on non-essential travel outside of a person’s area.
Supermarkets and other essential businesses like pharmacies would remain open, but others may have to close.
Online editors
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