Third crash amid warnings, virus is out of control

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The country is now on lockdown for at least a month, with government polls suggesting the latest restrictions could run until February.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who declared the status of the pandemic as “extremely serious”, warned that the number of positive cases would deteriorate further, even after seeing record levels last week.

In a desperate attempt to get the virus back under control, he confirmed that schools will remain closed until January 11, when the country enters its third national shutdown.

Other restrictions that go into effect today include:

  • Ban on home visits in an attempt to avoid New Year’s Eve parties;
  • Non-essential shops, gyms and entertainment facilities to close tonight;
  • The 5K exercise restrictions will go back into effect;
  • The UK travel ban will run until January 6. As a new similar variant has been identified in South Africa, this ban will also apply to South Africa;
  • Gatherings are not allowed, except weddings, which can have six guests, and funerals, which can have 10 mourners. These measures take effect from January 2;
  • People can meet people from another household in outdoor settings when exercising;
  • Schools will reopen on January 11, but daycares and nurseries will remain open;
  • Bars, cafes, restaurants, including hotel restaurants and bars, may serve take-out and delivery only;
  • The support bubbles will stay in place.

The Taoiseach said the move was necessary to “slow” the spread of the virus, and that the most recent variant of the virus in the UK is now spreading in the Irish community.

“While international research on this new variant is ongoing, it is already very clear that we are dealing with a strain of the disease that is spreading much, much faster,” he said.

In fact, it is spreading at a rate that has outpaced the most pessimistic models available to us.

“The truth is that with the presence of the new strain and the rate of growth, this is not a time for nuances in our response.”

He said that while next month will be “very difficult for everyone,” an end is looming with vaccines.

“For the first time since this terrible disease landed on our shores, we really have an end in sight,” he said.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the news would be “a very heavy blow” to the retail and fitness industries, but said pandemic unemployment pay, CRSS and TWSS payments would be available, as well as a fee waiver for the first quarter. . 2021 for closed businesses.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that people hoping to travel abroad next year should wait the next three months before booking anything, urging people to “take shelter.”

The announcement came when another 1,718 cases of the virus were confirmed, as well as another 13 deaths.

It is the second day in a row that a new record of cases was announced.

Health officials also confirmed that there were 455 Covid-19 patients in the hospital, of which 37 are in the ICU. That’s 60 additional hospitalizations in the last 24 hours.

Dr. Tony Holohan, medical director, warned that the virus is out of control.

“Ireland is no longer in a containment phase and is once again in a mitigation phase,” he said.

“Given the current levels of transmission in the community, all people should be considered potentially infectious.

“It is essential that we all limit our contacts to our own home now, restrict our movements, and do not give Covid-19 more opportunities to spread.”

The Taoiseach made his comments just hours after senior health officials made a grim assessment of the current state of the virus in Irish society.

There has been a 41% increase in demand for Covid-19 testing, with some 63,000 referrals made in the last week.

That number is also expected to double next week, according to Niamh O’Beirne, HSE’s national testing and tracing leader, with 25,000 tests per day expected to take place in the coming days.

The virus detection rate has now reached 8.9%, and the number of contact tracing calls has skyrocketed as well.

Paul Reid, head of HSE, said his worst worries before Christmas have now come true and described the situation as “very alarming and high risk.”

Meanwhile, following calls from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Government confirmed that there will be no cuts in PUP until the end of March at the earliest.

On Tuesday, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will bring a memorandum to Cabinet to keep the rates as they are.



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