The Government has decided today that, from midnight tomorrow 6th October, all remaining counties will be placed on Level 3 under the Plan for Living with Covid-19.
According to the Taoiseach Micheál Martin, this action is based on a review of the current public health advice and is in response to the deteriorating situation with the virus across the country.
All counties will be at Level 3 for a period of 3 weeks until midnight on 27th October 2020, at which point the situation will be reviewed by the Government, based on the status of the virus and public health advice.
In addition, in recognising that Level 3 is being extended in Dublin and Donegal beyond the three-week period, businesses in these counties will be eligible for a further 20% and 10% top-up respectively.
Placing all counties at Level 3 has the following implications:
– Visitors to private homes and gardens should be limited to a maximum number of 6 from one other household.
– No social/family gatherings should take place, with exemptions to this for weddings and funerals (see below).
– No organised indoor gatherings should take place. Organised outdoor gatherings are permitted, up to a maximum of 15 people.
– People should remain in their county (i.e. they must not leave to travel either domestically or internationally), with the exception of those who must travel for work, education and other essential purposes.
– People are asked to work from home unless absolutely necessary.
Schools, Early Learning and Childcare services should remain open. Adult and Higher Education Institutions should remain open, but are asked to review protective measures and take steps to limit congregation as much as possible.
You are asked to walk or cycle where possible so that public transport is available for use by essential workers and for essential work only.
Sports
– No matches or other sporting events should take place, with the exception of professional, elite, inter county and senior club championship – all to take place behind closed doors.
– Horse racing may continue, but behind closed doors.
– Non-contact training activities can continue in the outdoors and in pods of up to 15, with certain exemptions (see below).
– Indoor training should be confined to individuals only and no classes are to take place.
Business and Services
– All retail shops and shopping centres may remain open. All services such as hairdressers, beauticians, barbers, opticians etc. may remain open with strict adherence to sectoral guidance on protective measures.
– All outdoor playgrounds, play areas, parks remain open.
– Gyms/leisure centres, swimming pools may remain open for individual use only and with protective measures.
– Hotels, Guesthouses and B&Bs may remain open, but with services limited to residents.
– Restaurants and Cafes (including bars/pubs serving food/wet pubs) may remain open for take-away and delivery and outdoor dining/service to an absolute maximum of 15 people.
– Libraries will be available for e-services and call and collect.
– All indoor museums, galleries, cinemas and other cultural attractions should close.
– Religious services will move online, though places of worship may remain open for private prayer.
Over 70s & Medically Vulnerable
– Those aged over 70 and the medically vulnerable are advised to continue to exercise personal judgement.
– It is recommended that they stay at home as much as possible, limit engagement to a very small network for short periods of time, while remaining physically distanced.
– It is recommended that they stay at home as much as possible, limit engagement to a very small network for short periods of time, while remaining physically distanced.
– When taking exercise outdoors, it is important to maintain 2 metres distance from others and wash hands on returning home.
– It is recommended to shop during designated hours only, while wearing a face covering, and to avoid public transport.
Business Supports
A government statement said: “We understand that these restrictions will have a significant impact on businesses and employment around the country. In recognition of the impact of these restrictions on businesses a 30% top-up to the Restart Plus grant will be provided to help support those affected through the three-week period.
Businesses who have previously benefited from the Restart Grant will be eligible to re-apply for this top-up. This is in addition to the wide range of existing loan and voucher schemes available to assist businesses affected by Covid-19 provided through the July Jobs Stimulus and other Government initiatives.
Other employment and income supports, including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, as well as the full range of employment, training and support services for affected workers, will also continue to be made available. The final cost will depend on numbers of additional claimants.”
Public transport operates at 50% capacity.
– Non-contact training activities can continue in the outdoors and in pods of up to 15 with strict adherence to the relevant protective measures. There is an exemption to this for professional or elite athletes, for inter-county sports and for senior club championship training.
– No matches or other sporting events should take place, with the exception of professional, elite, inter county and senior club championship which should take place behind closed doors. Horse racing may continue, but behind closed doors.
– Nightclubs, Discos and Casinos will remain closed.
Travel for Work and Essential Purposes
– Travel to and from work, or for the purposes of work and where that work cannot be done from home;
– To attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products;
– For vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, but excluding social family visits, and;
– For farming purposes i.e. food production and/or care of animals.
The Taoiseach’s speech from Government Buildings this evening:
This evening the government has met to discuss the current situation in relation to Covid-19 and measures to contain it.
The facts show that there is an exponential increase in the rate of transmission right across the country.
We all must respond.
I want to outline very clearly the approach which we are taking and to talk with you about the role which each of us has to play.
This virus has had a profound impact on almost every aspect of our society.
Until there is an effective vaccine and it has been widely distributed the virus will continue to have an impact.
No matter how much we want to forget the virus, and move on with our lives, we must continue to manage it, and protect ourselves.
As our public health officials have pointed out, there has been a significant and serious rise in the number of cases.
And this is still a virus which is deadly and can cause lasting harm even to those who overcome it.
Three weeks ago, I launched the Government’s strategy to balance our response to the virus while protecting of the social, economic and cultural life of our country as much as possible.
Copies of this plan have been sent to every home and have been made available in every public office.
At the core of our approach are a series of graduated levels.
These allow us to respond flexibly and appropriately to new trends in the spread and impact of the virus.
This ensures that we look at all aspects of measures before they are implemented.
It gives everybody a fair opportunity to plan and respond.
The Government has been informed by NPHET that recent trends in most parts of the country are a major concern.
If we do not alter these trends there will be a serious impact.
There is no doubt whatsoever about this.
So, we must respond and the challenge is to be as effective and proportionate as possible.
As is intended in the procedures we published last month, we have held detailed discussions since receiving NPHET’s recommendation to move straight to a Level 5 lockdown.
Central to our discussions, has been looking at the wider implications of moving immediately to Level 5 rather than realising the full potential impact of lower level restrictions.
It’s important to understand that we are in a very different situation to last March.
The economic, social and non-Covid health impacts of the response must be different now.
Businesses are beginning to recover and vital public health services are back logged.
Severe restrictions now, will have a very damaging effect, which they may not be able to recover from.
That said, the government has decided to increase the level of controls in most of the country and to step-up efforts to ensure compliance with guidelines.
This is in accordance with the Government’s planned approach.
As part of this we have decided, at this stage, not to move to a more comprehensive lockdown.
It’s important to understand that the potential implications of such a move, are severe and very different from those we faced earlier this year.
It could involve the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, with these concentrated in families and communities which are already facing difficulties.
An immediate comprehensive lockdown would make it much harder to deal with non-Covid health concerns including the impact of isolation on the mental health of many of our people.
But it is essential that steps be taken, and taken now to bring down the rate of infection and to limit the numbers who require hospitalisation and critical care.
That is why, as of tomorrow at 12 midnight all parts of the country will move to Level Three of the Government’s Framework for Restrictive Measures for a period of three weeks.
The second part of the response is to step-up measures to increase compliance with guidelines.
The evidence is very clear that most people are following guidelines in limiting their activities and reducing the risk that they might spread or catch the virus.
However, there is also no doubt that some are taking a more lax attitude.
Whether, it is about inviting others to our homes or how we behave in public settings, the virus is spreading because people are allowing it to spread.
In the coming days we will be increasing the levels of public guidance on compliance and will work more closely with all sectors and stakeholders to ensure that measures are fully implemented so that we get maximum impact.
I understand how frustrated people are and how the yearning for normality grows stronger all the time.
However, Covid-19 is still deadly and we cannot ignore the threat it still poses.
Up to 2,400 people have already lost their lives on this island. We cannot and should not forget this.
It has challenged us to our very core, but we have shown that we can be resilient.
The road ahead will continue to have many turns. It will challenge us in new ways.
This is not about public health and businesses competing against each other, it’s about protecting lives and livelihoods.
We can’t do one without the other.
I believe that we all understand what we have to do, and I have confidence that we can have the impact this requires and we need to do it now.
If we all act now, we can stop the need to go further, and introduce Level 4 and 5 restrictions.
I have no doubt that we can and will get through this.
We will reach a time when we can again go about our lives without worrying if we might catch or transmit this terrible virus.
And the most important thing for us all to understand is that what will happen rests in our own hands and in our responsibility to each other.
Whether or not you are afraid of the virus every one of us can have an impact on the lives of others.
The spirit of community, of caring for others, lies at the heart of what’s best in the Irish character.
Now, as much as ever before we have to recommit ourselves to this spirit.