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Ireland will revert to Level 5 restrictions for at least a month in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said.
Addressing the nation, he described the situation as “extremely dire” and said the new strain is “spreading at a rate that has exceeded the most pessimistic models available to us.”
He said: “The numbers will deteriorate further in the coming days.
“With the presence of the new strain and the pace of growth, this is not a time for nuance in our response. We must apply the brakes to movement and physical interaction across the country.”
He continued: “We must revert to Level 5 restrictions on a large scale for a period of at least one month.”
The restrictions include:
- Visitors are not allowed in private homes or gardens unless they are caring for children or the elderly or vulnerable people, or they are part of a bubble of support.
- No social or family gatherings should be held in any setting, with an exemption for weddings with up to six guests and funerals with up to 10 mourners.
- People must stay at home except to travel for work, education or other essential reasons, or to exercise within 5 km of their home.
- Non-essential retail stores and gyms will close
The measures will take effect from midnight tonight (Wednesday), except in the case of non-essential shops and gyms, leisure centers and swimming pools, which must close from the close of operations on December 31.
The restrictions will remain in effect until midnight on January 31, 2021.
Meanwhile, schools will reopen on January 11, extending the Christmas break by three days.
The Irish Government has also agreed that the ban on air and passenger ferry travel from the UK will be extended until 6 January.
“As a new similar strain has been identified in South Africa, this ban will also apply to South Africa until January 6,” added a spokesperson.
Martin said he warned that next month would be “very difficult for everyone” but that an end to the restrictions was in sight.
“For the first time since this terrible disease landed on our shores, we really have an end in sight,” he said.
“Thousands of vaccines are landing here weekly and by the end of January I am sure that many tens of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens and our healthcare workers will have been vaccinated.”
Ireland’s Department of Health said Wednesday night that there were another 13 COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total to 2,226 COVID-related deaths in the country since the pandemic began.
The number of confirmed cases increased by 1,718 to make a total of 90,157.
