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THIS FRIDAY WAS scheduled to see all remaining Covid-19 restrictions lifted, however increasing Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations in recent weeks have seen the Government take a more nuanced approach.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed this afternoon that the advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) was to keep these protective measures in place until February and the government will follow that advice.
In a 12-page letter, NPHET told the Government that the criteria required to allow the relaxing of most public health measures had not been met, and warned about the “precarious’”Covid situation ahead of today’s limited loosening of restrictions.
NPHET did give some space to ease more restrictions, but only if the enforcement of vaccine passes, social distancing and mask-wearing remained in place.
From Friday, what’s changing and what isn’t?
Overall, Martin confirmed that from Friday, Covid-19 Digital Certificates will continue to be required for indoor hospitality and events.
In hospitality venues, table service only will continue with a maximum of 10 others per table, or 15 including children.
Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen as planned this Friday – but new advice specifically for the sector is being developed, and has yet to be released.
In a government document released this afternoon, it was confirmed that:
There was no clarification given on capacity numbers in nightclubs.
In relation to live events, the government confirmed:
This would affect any standing-only events booked in by Irish promoters from 22 October.
For outdoor events, Covid-19 vaccination certs will not apply for admission to but mask-wearing will be encouraged.
This decision removes capacity restrictions from Irish sports stadia for the first time since Covid measures were first introduced in Ireland in March 2020.
Restrictions on the number of people allowed to attend weddings and religious ceremonies have been removed. However, protective measures will remain in place.
These measures include that wedding receptions must be a sit-down meal only, live entertainment is permitted at the reception and ceremony, dancing is permitted but guests should emphasise personal responsibility.
The guidelines also say that the closing time for food and beverage facilities at hotels and guesthouses is 11.30pm. (TheJournal has sought clarification on this)
The return to workplaces can continue on a “phased and cautious basis” for specific business requirements.
A full return to physical attendance in workplaces was expected to be allowed on a “phased and cautious basis” from Friday, however, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar estimates that a full return to physical attendance in workplaces won’t be possible until next spring.
Public health advice for people to work from home where possible will remain in place beyond Friday, and government is to meet with trade unions and employers today to update the back-to-work guidance contained in the Work Safely Protocol.
“Essentially, what we’re saying is that a staggered return to workplaces and the office is possible. So people can go back to the office for a specific business purpose — a meeting or training, for example,” said Varadkar during this afternoon’s press conference.
Antigen tests are set to have an “enhanced role” as part of a series of new Covid-19 measures announced today. Tests will be sent to symptomless fully vaccinated close contacts of confirmed cases.
This is a departure from testing policy thus far, where vaccinated people who were deemed a close contact, but had no Covid-19 symptoms, were not required to get a PCR test or to restrict their movements.
Currently, antigen testing is being piloted in seven college campuses this autumn: students test themselves twice a week at home, and can upload their results online using the HSE Report Antigen Result website. Antigen testing has also been used at high-risk sites, such as meat processing plants.
- With reporting from Aoife Barry, Céimin Burke, Ian Curran, and Gráinne Ní Aodha
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RIP to the 15 people who have died.
The numbers are simply stuck. It is not decreasing at all. The 4th day in a row and it is still over 1K daily cases. Despite the death toll has dropped down, there is no reason to celebrate it. The more people infected the longer to get things returning to normal. One poxy year in lockdown. My mental health’s been badly affected. No life, no hopes, no motivation. Days and nights remain the same. R.I.P those 15 who lost their lives.
@Leandro Santos: Agree Leandro, it’s depressing.
@Leandro Santos: sounds like your having a hard time at the moment. It’s difficult for us all. You can do this, dig deep and try and walk in nature if you can. Be mindful of all the wonderful things in your life, food on the table, a roof over your head. Catch up on some reading, draw, paint, do crosswords, listen to music, do a jigsaw, keep a good routine, up early, walk, help a neighbour. You can and will survive this, nothing lasts forever and this will also pass. Stay safe you’ve got this. Maria
@Leandro Santos: Always somebody worse off than you personally I don’t find it that hard at all. Head out for an hour a day & like most that is really it. Do some study if no job plan to open a small business. look forward because tell you what it won’t last forever. Get a puppy, watch films, play some competitive games online anything to relieve the boredom. Personally, I enjoy poker.
@Leandro Santos: It’s not easy I hear you I am struggling as well, I just need to go somewhere that is not my cube and experience something different to give me a boost to knuckle down for another couple of weeks or months. Just try and be kind to yourself, fresh air and healthy food and know that you are not alone x
@Leandro Santos: it may seem that way but they are coming down. Just slower than we have seen with previous lockdowns. I believe we will get back to some semblance of normality by the second half of this year, a lot of the early vaccine data is very encouraging. ‘When you are going through hell keep going’ is a good mantra I have tried to apply to this. Regular walks or exercise are good for the mental health, and not being too harsh on yourself if you feel you aren’t getting anything done. I’d recommend listening to blindboy of the rubberbandits podcast titled ‘My mental health philosophy so far’ it’s a really interesting breakdown of his approach to maintaining good mental health and you could find some of it helpful. I hope things begin to improve for you anyway. Mind yourself.
@Leandro Santos: to be honest I think you’re better off checking case numbers every week to assess progress. Daily updates can be depressing. Today I took a break from current affairs radio and listened to music while reading the non-covid articles in the papers. Great day until Liverpool beat West Ham!
@Leandro Santos: totally understand your frustration , but the numbers are not stuck – this is last day of jan – 4 weeks ago there were 8000 cases in one day , 3 weeks ago there were 6000 cases in one day , two weeks ago there were over 2000 cases in one day , today they are 1200 in one day – that aint stuck – thats a very clear downward trend – there will be a lag now with those cases translating to hospitalisations and sadly deaths – the inevitable follow on from cases after 10-15 day cycles – but please – try keep in perspective – the lockdown measures are driving this downwards and the vaccine roll out is moving ahead – we are nearer the end than the beginning and while we are all sick to teeth – try think ahead and be positive -its better for your own health .
@Leandro Santos: I feel the same cannot bear to think of this lockdown continuing after 5th March nothing to look forward to cant see family living on my own no end to it
Why, when we are so locked down, are the numbers not going down? I am in Cork City and take a walk around the town as part of my exercise every day. The city is very very quite, I rarely see people in groups and everyone is wearing a mask. Why are our numbers not going down?
@Carol Cunningham: they are going down.
@Carol Cunningham: Dropping approx 6% day on day, but we started from a very high number so will take more time, also close contact testing restarted on friday so numbers will prob go up a little in the short term but will help reduce numbers further by the end of feb hopefully
@Carol Cunningham: The outbreak approximately doubled every week, the Re (reproductive number) was 2 to 3, meaning for every 10 people carrying the virus they infected 20 to 30 others on average each week. However, under lockdown new infections are not stopped completely, the probability of infecting other is reduced, the Re was 0.8-0.5 (last week).
This means, 10 people carrying the virus infected between 8 and 5 others last week. As a result, infections rise much faster then they fall. We have to be patient.
@Carol Cunningham: I guess infection transmission is not happening on quiet city streets; close contact testing re-started too. We’ve been through the low number celebrations before, last year anyway.
@Carol Cunningham: there isn’t really a lock down carol, huge amount of building sites still open which means suppliers are open also means manufacturing is open. Food companies are open which means repair company’s and suppliers are open. Shops are busy with no control(Tesco Dundalk from my experience),I bet there are a lot of sports club’s training on the sly. The only stuff really closed is social businesses, coffee shops,pubs-clubs,restaurants clothes shops, oh and schools, plus the hospitals seem to be struggling with containment and are also accountable for significant numbers
@Carol Cunningham: Carol I Iive in Dublin 10, last night there was a late party 4 doors down from my house, I could hear that these party goers were not young but middle aged! And today my street is choc-a-bloc with cars of relatives visiting their families as if it was a normal Sunday.
That’s why the numbers are high and will remain that way, these people do not care and will be crowding aircraft to take their usual holidays ‘sure what’s the problem?’ as soon as the idiots that govern this Banana Republic lessen restrictions.
@Carol Cunningham: the more transmissible UK strain accounts for 60% of all cases in Ireland in this new wave. The more is spreads the more it will evolve. This is happening in countries where its not being managed properly. And if you think back to lockdown no1, fear was a big factor in keeping people in line. Now people are desensitised to it.
@Fred Conlan: It boils down to the government are not strict enough & the fines are a joke as simple as that. Would not be known for being a fan of law & order as somebody pointed out the other day.However
Under my rules would be a 10k/15k fine for a party to householder or Tennant. Can’t afford well hard luck a year’s worth of community service cant carry out the work Locked up 12 mts serve the full 9 no extra remission to apply.
@Fred Conlan: seen exactly the same in Lucan. Careless inconsiderate people. Prolonging this nightmare and killing people.
Wexford has had extremely high numbers since the middle of December, was below 8 I believe yesterday but jumps to nearly 100 cases today. How does that even make sense!
@Louise Hogan: was the lowest in the country yesterday 7 cases very hard to understand where the cases are coming from
@Louise Hogan: wasn’t there some outbreak there at a meat factory recently?
@Louise Hogan: no point looking at individual days as all positive swabs need to be confirmed before reporting, better to look for 7 day average, this is a much better indication of where the numbers are
@Paul Keenan: thanks Paul, the 7 day reading is pretty dismal also unfortunately
@Louise Hogan: Yes but looking at data from last thurs, wexford was averaging 100 cases a day in the 2 weeks up to the 25th jan so 108 between yest and today is 54 each day which is nearly 50% lower, numbers all going in the right direction
@Louise Hogan: plus close contacts now being tested again so numbers will increase a little in the next few days
@Louise Hogan: Community transmission, this is what happens. Also many people in denial that they have it and not getting tested.
Awful. Especially with Starbucks omni staff today serving their friend who had no mask, rubbing his face and beard at the food counter, touching the card machine, and even the hand of the cashier, then the staff touch all the cups and kids everyone else drank from.. When I said it to them they claim it’s up to them if you have to wear a mask and they wouldn’t ask him to wear one or leave. So, can’t fight it when ppl are so silly. Ppl won’t say it to ppl cause of these examples but that single act today could exponentially spread through hundreds or thousands.
@Kris Kendellen: These places Should be shut make your coffee at bloody home.Non-essistanital.
@Aidan Dorney: non-essential
@Aidan Dorney: understand it’s nice for ppl working and to have a tiny bit of joy in life so I don’t mind it open for takeaway only etc. But this sort of stuff makes me say perhaps they should close as it’s just spreading it if their staff behave so recklessly. So yea close it all.
@Kris Kendellen: I would contact the manager of that branch and tell them what you saw.
@Kris Kendellen: Yes take out is maybe okay if ran correctly still the problem of people queueing outside nattering & spitting all over one another is the issue. Our country is run by clowns Three months of not having a coffee or a bun is hardly much of a sacrifice to make, is it? Even a year or so.
@Kris Kendellen: They can’t really make someone wear a mask, the person can just say they have a medical exemption. Without a large staff / security guard it’s unfair to ask the staff to risk abuse by trying to throw them out. They should be sanitising their hands between customers though, and wiping the card machine after a transaction that is not contactless. If what you have said above is true and they didn’t clean their hands and machine after him I would contact the manager. I’m sure there are cameras around the till, so they can investigate easily and retrain/reprimand the offending staff member.
@Sarah Connor: there are no medical exemptions. I’ve asked b4 and I know my law, but can u tell me Where are u getting exemptions from? If u can’t wear a mask in a coffee shop, what condition would allow that as an exemption?
@Kris Kendellen: that is one way its spread. People still don’t get it, it’s called DENIAL
@Sarah Connor: and not asking to square up to them to throw them out but All they have to do is refuse service And walk away. I was in customer service for years. You have to do it sometimes. These ppl knew him and he ordered his ‘regular’.
Oh and yea I’m getting the footage saved from cctv.
@Kris Kendellen: I’m not sure what benefit posts like this have. They only stoke peoples anxiety and generally serve no purpose otherwise, that I can see anyway. You can only control your own adherence to the guidelines. Nobody else’s.
@Kris Kendellen: 100% contact the manager and demand that he/ she talks to the staff. That individual should absolutely not have been served. That branch should be reported to the Garda for breach of Covid 19 regulations. Too many people too slow to stand up for the rights of the nation to come out of this pandemic. Clowns need to be called out
@Fred spins kdb: benefits of posts on here? I don’t think there is a point other than conversation. I’m not responsible for anyone’s reaction to what I say, just what I say. I don’t think anything I said was alarmist. If someone is too delicate to read people’s personal issues,l or opinions, they prob shouldn’t be reading comment sections should they.
@Dave Phelan: I reported my local Spar to an Gardai. 3 separate young guys with no masks, all served. Not sure if guards bothered to go to store and talk to manager but 3 days later I saw 2 people with no masks in same store. The staff said they were told not to tackle those without masks as “it affects the business”. It’s just crazy. These clowns are prolonging the lockdown and destroying our economy. They should be fined €500 on the spot. And €5000 fines to the businesses that repeatedly break the rules and ignore the law. But I know this will never happen.
@Kris Kendellen: Masks don’t work. Don’t be such a bed wetter
@Kris Kendellen: you do not have to wear a mask if it causes you distress. You do not need a doctors cert either. The law couldn’t be more clear.
@Kris Kendellen: If you refuse someone because of their ‘disability’ you can be pursued through the WRC.
@Dave Phelan: If you refuse service because of their disability then it’s the same as refusing service because of their gender or race.
@Kris Kendellen: I agree it’s BS but you are allowed to not wear a mask with certain conditions, including “special needs that make it uncomfortable” https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/face-coverings-masks-and-covid-19/when-to-wear.html#not-wear. My point wasn’t that maybe they can’t wear a mask, it was that they can just say they can’t wear a mask. On the refusal of service, staff have been advised by unions in multiple sectors that this is not their job. Personally I’d prefer if things were done the way you’re suggesting, but unfortunately there’s no way of forcing people to behave sensibly. Contact the manager is your best bet, I’m certain they hold footage longer than 24 hours if you contact them tomorrow.
@Aidan Dorney: if you were half as clever as you like to come across, you may realise that maybe its not the coffee and bun thats essential, but more so the employment the coffee and bun provides. But yeah close everything and anything, round everyone up and send them to the forest to pick bills off the money trees!
The UK has vaccinated nearly 9 million people. Our population nearly twice over. Staggering the difference between them and us.
@Munster1: 600k yesterday alone! But to be fair, they have the vaccine to use.
@Munster1: We are doing well on the vaccination charts top five in Europe and none of it made here. That would have helped us.
@Munster1: staggering too the 100k who have died in Britain. Way more per head than us. That’s why Johnson is so desperate to get the vaccine out.
@Munster1: they have not vaccinated 9 million that have given the first of 2 doses to show how great they are by rushing approval , stretching to the limit the time between doses with no plan on giving out the second dose . They also have more twice the deaths per 100,000 than us .
@Munster1: they have given a lot of those people only njection 1 which offers very little protection on it’s own, and are going to leave them waiting 12 weeks instead of 2 for the second dose? Against manufacturer’s advice and with no data to show that it won’t render the vaccine useless? 9 million might have received a needle but I wouldn’t say there are anything close to 9 million people effectively vaccinated. I don’t think our roll out is being handled as well as it could/should be, but I’d certainly prefer it to the manner in which it is being done in the UK
@Jo H:
The US is currently doing over a million day but because of its very large population its no where near enough, they could sort our entire population in a few days. Maybe someone could have a chat during paddys day at the White House.
@Jo H: not true, the drug manufacturers have approved the 12 week gap between doses also the first jab gives 60% protection (which is better than what you say .. nothing) the one thing the UK have done right is the purchase, approval and roll out of the Vaccines.
@Rayzor: completely agree, our roll out speed is not acceptable, there are supply issue we have to deal with, but the speed at which what we have is being delivered is simply not good enough in my opinion
@Hugh Fogerty: I said very little, not nothing. If the manufacturers have since approved that gap, I stand corrected, but the last articles I read stated otherwise and I’ve just googled there to try and find something reporting their change in stance and can’t
They restarted the testing of close contacts, which explains the upward bounce in cases I guess, over the last few days. Hope the overall trend continues down.
@Dennis Laffey: Spot on Dennis, no Close Contact tracing for over 5 weeks!
Lower numbers that is a good sign perhaps they can lift some restrictions before 5th of March.
@artur filip: same mistake twice. Isn’t that the equivalent if being a …
@artur filip: low? It’s over a thousand
@artur filip: They are lower numbers because close contact’s to those who have Covid are no longer been tested . Who knows what the true figure is ? A total manipulation of figures !
@artur filip: still high numbers in icu
@Merlin Lancelot: I said some restrictions like 5k or allow construction return to work.
@Mary Mc Carthy: close contacts are again been tested
@Mary Mc Carthy: thats just not true. They started testing close contacts again on Friday.
@Mary Mc Carthy: they havent been testing close contacts since we were over 6000 cases so the trend is going in the right direction at least , just too slow unfortunately.
@artur filip: you’re optimistic if you think any restrictions will be lifted on the 5th of March, try late march for some minor lifting maybe.
@artur filip: No chance of that happening the way things stand. Lower doesn’t equate to low.
@artur filip: Not a chance in hell that will happen, it was flown today in the papers.
@artur filip: construction is restarting anyway.. no matter what restrictions are in place, from what I see on a short walk around home.. home visits over weekends as well.. lot more activity around since daily numbers went below 2000
RIP
We can’t seem to get under a thousand cases a day ,can’t see us getting down to 200 a day by the end of lockdown in March
@Kevin Cahill: it’s dropped massively with close contacts been tested as well give it 2-3 more weeks and it will start to look a lot better
@Kevin Cahill: Philip Nolan NHPET said today if we keep up what we are doing since the 3rd lockdown began, we will be down to between 200-400 cases a day at the end of February.
What’s great to see is that people no understand the numbers and we are not getting the same hysteria or conspiracy theory people as much. Christmas opening was a mistake and we all know now. We stay as is until we have it beaten down completely. Sadly we will have a lot more people passing before it is over.
But but but cases are always low on weekends and when there’s a full moon and Mercury flips into retrograde in Aquarius.
Close the airports and ports to all but essential travel. Quarantine for those who do arrive. Work with the London Government for a two-island approach, so Arlene can do what is best for her people. Just locking down on its own is not a solution. Stop the virus from coming onto the island.
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype: for Arlene to do the best for her people, it would not be the best for NI or the ROI
@Joe_X: I mean that the outcome that is best for everyone includes the people who support her. It is sad that her short-sighted politics takes priority over what is the right action, working with the 26 to beat the virus.
Same as ever, we never get there
Terrible , rip .
How much have these daily news conferences cost? Who covers the costs? Why haven’t we done this for flu (which cripples ICU every winter) where has the normal flu gone? WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE FOLKS???
@Tv1985: oh ffs.
@Lar Lewis: To be fair, I’d love a decent level of clarity from the HSE every year as to what’s being done to mitigate the trolley crises and how they intend to not see the same thing happening the next year. We never get this clarity, and the HSE more or less get off the hook until the crisis inevitably hits the next winter and we realise that sure enough, they actually haven’t done much over the course of the year…
Tony the grim reaper hittreohan
Tony Grimreaper Hitl3lerohan
R. I. P. Sincere condolences to you and your family stephen,may you and your children find the strength and peace to get through this very difficult time and to all families suffering due to this virus..
Tony the grim reaper hitlerohan
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