The nation will on Thursday enter a 3rd nationwide lockdown to last till at least the end of January following the speedy spread of coronavirus.
Faculties will stay closed till January 11th so as to give families 10 days to minimize their social contacts.
All non-essential retail will shut from Thursday night time whereas social gatherings or guests within the home are not permitted.
The public is being advised to remain at home and never journey beyond a five-kilometer limit. Indoor and outdoor sports activities similar to in gyms, as well as tennis and golf, may also not be permitted.
Speaking at Government Buildings following a special Cabinet meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated the virus is “spreading at a rate that has surpassed probably the most pessimistic models available to us”.
It’s understood that Tánaiste Leo Varadkar warned the Cabinet it’s unlikely most of the restrictions might be lifted after the mooted end date of January 31st, whereas Ministers have been also warned of the significant impact of the move will have on the economy.
Mr. Varadkar stated on Wednesday night the decision to enter a stricter lockdown represented a “very hard blow for employees and employers alike”.
The pandemic unemployment payment will remain in place at current rates till the end of March at least, under a memo to be brought to Cabinet next week by the Minister for Social Safety Heather Humphreys. Some 40,000 additional staff will be laid off within the coming weeks in light of the tightened restrictions. Businesses forced to shut from Thursday might be given a double payment for 2 weeks under the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).
“The financial cost is significant. The priority we would have is across the impact on certain sectors and companies when it comes to a long-term scarring impact, so we’ll continue to evaluate that.”
Whereas Mr Martin stated schools will reopen on January 11th, a Government statement stated there could be an “further evaluation on the exact situation in advance of that date”.
“Public health has been constant in saying schools are secure places for kids. In some cases, this might be three extra days [off] in some schools or two extra days in others. By extending the break you’re giving families a chance to place in place measures to ensure contacts are minimized and children can return safely to school.”
The Taoiseach stated it’s “fair to say quite a number of these restrictions will continue beyond the end of this month”.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan stated the ban on travel from Britain might be extended till January sixth whereas a separate ban on travel from South Africa has also been announced till the same date after the same new strain of Covid-19 was discovered there.
For the second day in a row, a new record for added cases of the virus was set, with 1,718 positive tests reported. Another 13 Covid-related deaths have been also confirmed.
Public health officials responded to the worsening figures by telling individuals to “stay home” so transmission of the virus may be restricted.
Partial reduction
They also warned of as many as 3,000 new cases a day and 1,200 patients in hospital by the end of January, even with a partial reduction in the transmission of the virus.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan stated Ireland was as soon as again in a mitigation phase, which means resources should be focused on those who are sickest.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) warned the testing and contract tracing system is approaching maximum capacity.
Continued exponential progress in cases will challenge the system and reduce the marginal benefit it provides, officers stated.
The advantage of people taking action to prevent an infection “far outweighs” what testing and tracing can currently achieve, HSE chief executive Paul Reid informed a briefing.
Most indicators of the disease have sharply deteriorated in the past week, with a 41 percent increase in testing and a 129 percent rise in contact-tracing calls.
The number of Covid-19 patients in the hospital increased to 455 on Wednesday, up from 411 yesterday. ICU numbers rose barely to 37, up three.
The reproduction number, a measure of the extent to which the virus is transmitting, is presently estimated at 1.6-1.8, and case numbers are doubling every seven to 10 days.
The HSE says 650 hospital beds are available, together with 55 critical care beds.
