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LAST UPDATE | 29 Mar 2021
THE CABINET COVID-19 sub-committee met this evening over the potential easing of some Covid-19 restrictions.
The meeting came after the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) met this morning to discuss its recommendations to the government.
The Cabinet sub-committee then considered these recommendations after hearing presentations from the HSE, NPHET and the high-level vaccine task force.
The advice from NPHET was cautious, with a warning that any major lifting of restrictions could result in another wave of disease.
It is understood that expectations may need to be lowered in terms of the restrictions being eased – changes due to be announced for April are likely to be limited, though an easing of the 5km rule is anticipated to be announced. It’s understood that there is the worry of a further wave of Covid-19 infections if too many changes are announced at once.
How the changes announced in April affect Covid-19 figures in the following weeks is likely to determine how quickly other mooted changes are rolled out in the months after.
It’s also understood that government will recognise the sacrifices that people are currently making in the fight against the spread of the virus.
Speaking after the meeting, Green Party leader and Minister Eamon Ryan said that the sub-committee received very detailed presentations today. “If we look at what’s going on in Europe, we have to be careful. The optimistic note is we have the vaccine … going out now at scale and that will give us protection. There are still a key number of weeks ahead. We’ll see tomorrow, we have to meet at Cabinet.”
Green leader and Minister @EamonRyan on tonight’s Cabinet sub committee meeting re easing #covid19 restrictions @rtenews pic.twitter.com/7jWCRT4egI
— Paul Cunningham (@RTENewsPaulC) March 29, 2021
He said that the decisions made tomorrow “will be part of a step-by-step approach – so April, May, June, take it one step at a time; it won’t be the full detail or anything, it’s crucial we get the next few weeks right and be on the path towards bringing back normality, and that’s in prospect now.”
A full Cabinet meeting will take place tomorrow at 1 pm with an address anticipated from the Taoiseach tomorrow evening, likely at around 6 pm.
Ryan said they are “still in the space of getting the next few weeks right”.
“It’s more appropriate here to be just careful to not over-elaborate in terms of what will happen in May, June, July.
“First things first – we have to get April right.”
He said of the decision-making process: “Cautious, and listening to health advice – that will be the guiding star”.
Expectations
Among the measures under consideration is an easing of the 5km limit, permissions on outdoor sports and the possibility of larger groups meeting outdoors.
It is believed that not all the measures will kick in on the same date, with the government instead opting for a phased basis approach.
In attendance at the Cabinet sub-committee meeting were the deputy chief medical officer, the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister Ryan as well as a select number of ministers and top-level senior servants.
While the decision on what restrictions will be eased was to be largely made at this meeting, a full Cabinet meeting is needed to rubber-stamp the decisions tomorrow.
The Taoiseach Micheál Martin had already flagged well in advance what is being considered. He came under pressure last week from his own parliamentary party to scrap the 5km travel limit in its entirety, with some branding it “ridiculous”.
There will be a big emphasis on outdoor activities, with the opening up of outdoor sports for children expected to be given the green light.
It’s expected guidance could also allow for outdoor sports, where social distancing is possible, such as golf, tennis, and fishing.
It is understood that the government will consider allowing more households to meet outside – with sources stating that they are acutely aware of people’s mental health at this point, and some acknowledging that such meetups are already happening.
Ministers discussed at the meeting the possibility of a return to click and collect, but the full reopening of retail is not on the cards for now.
Reopening the construction sector is also anticipated to be announced tomorrow.
- Additional reporting by Christina Finn.
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Any minute now the leak will start leaking. #LeoTheLeak
@tirnanog1979: He’ll need to be quick, MM will be fast out of the blocks with a late night Mirror exclusive
@tirnanog1979: Interesting how NPHET haven’t made their “recommendations” public this time. Thats because they’re orders this time.
@tirnanog1979: barbers and golf courses. That’s all I want to hear.
@Peter Cavey: Bad news for you so, I’m afraid.
@Peter Cavey: Hmm no says golf due to be back. (It’s expected guidance could also allow for outdoor sports, where social distancing is possible, such as golf, tennis, and fishing.)
@michael: My previous comment was directed at you & not Peter.
Scrap the 5km
@LFCMAD_94: I can’t believe it’s such an alien request for the ministers to consider. Stricter enforcement of virus spread when people inevitably interact should be far higher in their priorities.
@LFCMAD_94: In counties in the single digits then yes, in Dublin and Offaly it needs to stay and be properly enforced.
@Paul Cunningham: why does it? Why can’t I go from one side of Dublin to another while still following public health advice? I could still easily go out in my 5km and catch the virus
@LFCMAD_94: Scrap level 5.
@LFCMAD_94: the people have already scrapped the 5k.
The clowns in Gov know this and will pretend that they removing it…. not that the people have removed it themselves, weeks ago.
@LFCMAD_94: who actually adheres to it. Do u ?
Open up construction, we’re in the midst of a housing crisis. Should have never been shut in the first place.
The lockdown is already over. People are meeting up with family and friends for weeks now. Anecdotally you can see it by looking out the window and you can also see it in the case numbers. Everyone out and about sees the normal traffic on the roads and there’s no checkpoints of note.
You can’t keep people locked away for this long because, as we all know, it doesn’t work. They’ve said it themselves at the start that you can’t lock people down for long periods.
Shops and businesses may be still closed but outside of that people are breaking the restrictions and, justifiably in my view, using their mental health as the reason.
@Damo: businesses have to start reopening soon or they will shut for good and mainstreets will become ghost towns
Bring back max 15 people dining outside, we need to start preparing for “living with the virus” the hospitality sector is on its knees
@SaveTheTrees: unfortunately that won’t happen with our governments updated hiding from Covid plan 2021
@SaveTheTrees: you could have said that at any time in the pandemic and nothing would have changed. We can’t live with it. We must eradicate it off the island. Only then will we get what we want.
@Paul Cunningham: Seriously it will never be eradicated. It will end up just like the flu or the common cold. We will have to live with it.
@Paul Cunningham: if you think the economy will wait till we eradicate a virus like this, we maze well just pack up and go live in caves. There’s a reason why countries in Europe are running test events to see can they get things going even with very slow vaccinations, cos well even the most loyal lockdown and covid disciples can see, we can’t just hide away and pray for vaccines to save the day when the eu have messed them up once already. Sadly for many being alive from covid will be small comfort without a job, business or even home and no money to pay bills
@Paul Cunningham: public sector thinking. Tell that to the 500,000 people forced out of work.
@Paul Cunningham: Recent research has shown it can not be eradicated, vacination will control it and we have to work and live with that approach. War won’t end if everyone hides in the trenches.
@SaveTheTrees: Was speaking with my uncle yesterday in England. He told me he was just off the phone to his local after booking his table for his himself & the wife for the 13th of April. And here we are hoping the 5 km will be extended a little. We’re so far behind it’s depressing.
@Paul Cunningham: Obviously lockdown has had zero effect on you, you seem quite content with it all. Either you’re public sector or just used to doing nothing work wise. Oh & it’ll never be eradicated, you can get that out of your head.
@SaveTheTrees: just bring back dinning and open the pub’s
If the travel restrictions are not lifted in a meaningful way then people will simply ignore and proceed after all Dublin is in lockdown over a longer period than any other county and it is wrong to limit movement of so many in such a restricted area, the 5km limit is forcing people in large numbers to be in each others space.
@Honeybee: Actually Co.Kikdare has had the longest lockdown in the country.
Construction? Too many major projects stand idle, yet some minor road works are underway.
We are in lockdown deadlock. We all know nothing of substance is going to happen tomorrow. Doubtful at the moment if anything major will happen by June Bank Holiday. Yet N.Ireland will be opening up shortly so all bets will be off. People will travel North to shop ,eat and drink and even go on holiday so what happens then. Will NPHET actually try something proactive or will we just muddle on letting our economy implode and the people become more disenchanted.
@Franny Ando: Get ready for the ads from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board
These guys deserve another pay-rise, doing trojan work to deal with this pandemic.
@Darren Lambe: I was going to say ….with all this brainstorming tonight, the hamster is sprinting around the wheel, but unfortunately, the hamster is lying motionless at the bottom of the cage, with its tongue hanging out …. So I’ll go and watch Dancing on Ice instead ….
So a phased re-opening of the very minimal concessions we are getting for April absolutely miserable
@Conor: april is always miserable
@James Rowan: An extra miserable April so.
A bit off topic but hard to believe motor tax rates were increased per 01jan2021 in the middle of a pandemic with so many out of work…
NPHET member must get hard ons at this stage from giving grim predictions about this wave and that wave and this might happen and that might happen, fully knowing their modelling is always way off, and that their rush to throw us into level 5 in October & November caused the case numbers to soar in December when people were desperate for some human contact. Every creep on the team will sleep like a log tonight knowing they never lost a penny, get to go to work everyday to see their mates, meanwhile hundreds of thousands are living off of state funds and every second business is shuttered.
No need to wait until tomorrow evening. Leo will have disclosed all by midnight tonight as usual.
I think we are not expecting anything major tomorrow in terms of easing restrictions, but it is not too much to ask that milestones be spelt out. If we hit 1m vaccinations in April as we constantly hear, milestone 1, another 1m in May, milestone 2. Whilst the cases reported have been static, hospitalisation and ICU numbers have gone down. Not as fast, but they are. The other thing is that I still believe NPHET don’t fully appreciate peoples well being. Why aren’t they advocating antigen testing? When all this is done, hopefully by the Summer, it will still be another 18 months potentially for people to feel that life is back to normal and whilst NPHET will disappear into the sunset, there will be a lot of resentment as to how this was handled
A phased easing of the 5km restriction.
April 6th. It’s 6km. April 8th it’s 7 I’m. April 9th. It’s 8km and so on.
@Kim Steen Hansen: whoa, not so fast!
@Kim Steen Hansen: Why have you skipped April 7?
Tomorrow’s agenda: All spin, no spine.
Sure we all know what’s going to happen the media have been telling us for weeks now
This has gone too far now. Every so called non essential business should open up after the 5th of April
If only we had a Government that would Govern and not a bunch of lame ducks that have handed our Freedom and Country over to a bunch of Civil Servants. Remember them at the next election.
@Fargo Boyle: I guess their afraid of “big crowds” forming, if we had rapid testing like in other countries for example the recent 5000 capacity concert in Barcelona where all were tested the day before, but i guess you can’t rely on everyone to be responsible, it would be great if we were more proactive about it
@SaveTheTrees: would love to see a big concert go ahead like that here but can’t see folk here sticking to the rules they had for the attendees, we’re not the best when it comes to rules especially in an environment like a large concert
Cautious approach yet I hear they are going to have checkpoints on the motorway network again. Mind games there playing
They couldn’t keep a eye on the few that were in a hotel f f shake dope squad open the pubs
Let the leaking and back tracking commence…..spineless government minister’s Assemble!!!!
I just can’t believe we are still letting them get away with this BS lockdown.
In other words, copying the UK any sign of the barbers opening never mind your click & collect. I can hardly click & collect a haircut.
Cause the cautious slow reopening didn’t ultimately fail last summer or anything – honestly a bunch of 13 year olds could probably show more ambition
Stay away from anyone, don’t even look at anyone, live like hermits sure you’ll be grand, don’t worry about your mental health. WTF had enough of the carrot dangling and little leaks, pub’s restaurants super spreaders, now it’s play date’s and community transmission from unknown sources, but yet the only time most people leave their home is to get shopping,so do we just stay in bed ??
Its insane to think 12 months ago when we had no tools, masks etc to fight virus and knew nothing about it, we had the same restrictions imposed on us but we had a plan to leave in june.. This year even with the tools and knowledge and vaccinnes we under the same restrictions but no plan to leave.
The government has just thrown Irish small businesses under the bus. They really don’t care about them. Worse, most of the teachers, lawyers, barristers and landlords in the Dáil despise small business people. As long as the multinationals and the big multiples are happy then all is well with the world
just let me back on the golf course , way safer than walking in parks and footpaths!!
The gov can’t lift any ban in the industries without giving a minimum of 5 weeks warning notice … with PCRs plus the mandatory hotel quarantine … workers enjoying the sun overseas won’t be able to a safe return under 5 to 6 weeks time …. a complete joke and all those sob stories and mental health … the weakest people on earth, great title
Will NEPHET take the blame for recession 2.0?? Most of these suggestions are already happening for weeks….
What this space all schools open 12 april closed a week later. I wudnt like to send kids back to packed pre covid class rooms which im guessing is proposed . You cant have a non contact sport open like golf or tennis yet you can play GAA…..O.M.F.G
have your say