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The country will enter a third nationwide lockdown on Thursday that will last at least until the end of January, following the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
Schools will be closed until January 11 to give families 10 days to minimize their social contacts.
All non-essential retail stores will close starting Thursday night, while social gatherings or home visitors are no longer allowed.
The public is told to stay home and not travel beyond a five kilometer limit. Indoor and outdoor sports, such as gyms, as well as tennis and golf, will also not be allowed.
Speaking in government buildings after a special cabinet meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the virus is “spreading at a rate that has exceeded the most pessimistic models available to us.”
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is understood to have warned Cabinet that many of the restrictions are unlikely to be lifted after the January 31 end date, while ministers also warned of the significant impact the measure will have on the economy.
Varadkar said Wednesday night that the decision to go into stricter lockdown was a “very hard blow to both workers and employers.”
The pandemic unemployment payment will remain at current rates at least until the end of March, according to a memorandum that Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will present to Cabinet next week. Some 40,000 additional workers will be laid off in the coming weeks in light of the tighter restrictions. Businesses that are forced to close as of Thursday will receive double payment for two weeks under the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).
‘Healing effect’
The Taoiseach warned, however, that there will be a long-term “scar effect” on the economy.
“The economic cost is significant. The concern we would have is about the impact on certain sectors and companies in terms of a long-term healing effect, so we will continue to evaluate that. “
While Mr. Martin said the schools will reopen on January 11, a government statement said there would be a “further review of the precise situation before then.”
“Public health has been consistent in saying that schools are safe places for children. In some cases, it will be an additional three days. [off] in some schools or two extra days in others. By extending the recess, you are giving families an opportunity to implement measures to ensure that contact is minimized and that children can safely return to school. “
The Taoiseach said it is “fair to say that a large number of these restrictions will continue beyond the end of the month.”
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the travel ban from Britain will run until January 6, while a separate travel ban from South Africa to the same date was also announced after a new travel ban was found there. similar strain of Covid-19.
For the second day in a row, a new record for additional cases of the virus was set, with 1,718 positive tests reported. Another 13 Covid-related deaths were also confirmed.
Public health officials responded to the worsening numbers by telling people to “stay home” to limit transmission of the virus.
Partial reduction
They also warned of up to 3,000 new cases a day and 1,200 patients in the hospital in late January, even with a partial reduction in transmission of the virus.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said Ireland was once again in a mitigation phase, meaning resources should be focused on the sickest.
The Health Services Executive (HSE) has warned that the contract testing and tracking system is approaching full capacity.
Continued exponential growth in cases will challenge the system and reduce the marginal benefit it provides, officials said.
The benefit of people taking steps to prevent infection “far exceeds” what testing and screening can currently achieve, HSE CEO Paul Reid said in a briefing.
Most indicators of the disease have deteriorated dramatically in the last week, with a 41% increase in testing and a 129% increase in contact tracing calls.
The number of Covid-19 patients in the hospital rose to 455 on Wednesday, up from 411 the day before. The ICU numbers increased slightly to 37, three more.
The breeding number, a measure of the extent to which the virus is transmitted, is currently estimated at 1.6-1.8, with the number of cases doubling every seven to 10 days.
The HSE says there are 650 hospital beds available, including 55 intensive care beds.
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