[ad_1]
The Government of Ireland has announced a new lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak. It will begin at midnight on Wednesday October 21 and will last for six weeks. The country is the first in the European Union to decide to impose a new total closure: on Monday, Wales, in the United Kingdom, had introduced 17 days of closure from Friday 23 October until 9 November.
The prime minister explained that the new restrictions are probably the most stringent in Europe at present, but that, given the increase in infections, they are also necessary: the effort over the next six weeks, he said, could provide the opportunity to “Celebrate the Christmas meaningfully. ” The government’s decision was made after the National Public Health Emergency Team (which provides guidance and advice on the outbreak) sent a letter to the Minister of Health saying that a period of six weeks was the minimum necessary to bring the number of new cases daily at a level acceptable to the health system. The new lockdown, specified in the government statement, also aims to support families by keeping schools and daycare centers open, protecting non-COVID-19 health services and protecting the most vulnerable people.
Micheál Martin asked everyone to stay home. Transfers will be allowed to go shopping, go to the pharmacy, for vital family reasons, such as providing assistance to children, the elderly or vulnerable people. He said museums, libraries, all non-essential retail businesses, including bars and restaurants, will have to close, while home delivery and take-out services will remain active.
Only essential workers will be able to “go to work” and citizens will only be able to play sports within five kilometers of their residence. Martin said that schools and nurseries are part of the essential activities and therefore must remain open “because we cannot and will not allow the future of our children and young people to be other victims of this disease.” Masses will be held online, a maximum of 25 people may attend weddings and 10 funerals.
The prohibition of visits between different families and indoor events will also be extended, although two families will be able to meet in outdoor places such as parks and always within the five-kilometer limit. “I understand that social isolation and anxiety are a very real problem for many people and especially for those who live alone,” said Martin, so people who experience this situation will be allowed to have another family for support. who can visit or who can receive visits.
The government has said that “there will be a sanction” for those who violate the five-kilometer restrictions and that public transport will operate at 25 percent of the media capacity to be available only to workers and students. Unlike the previous lockdown decided in March, professional-level sports will be allowed behind closed doors across the country. The government finally decided to suspend the evictions and extend the unemployment benefit linked to the pandemic.
In Ireland, as in other European Union countries, a prolonged blockade was imposed last March to control the spread of the infection. Since the beginning of the epidemic, in Ireland, a country of almost 5 million people, 1,852 have died. Last Monday 1,031 new confirmed cases of contagion were registered, for a total of more than 50,000 cases since the start of the pandemic.
Moving to level 5 restrictions was a difficult decision for the government and very difficult for the people whose lives and livelihoods are most affected, but it was necessary to interrupt the uncontrolled exponential growth of the pandemic. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/pGxe6PqFmd
– Professor Philip Nolan (@President_MU) October 19, 2020
[ad_2]
