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THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced a number of new Covid-19 restrictions in an effort to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus ahead of Christmas.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed this evening that a limit on the number of people allowed to attend live indoor and outdoor events has been advised by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
Cabinet has agreed that from Monday 20 December, indoor cultural, entertainment, community and sporting events will be limited to 50% of venue capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is lower.
This includes visits to the cinema and the theatre, as well as attendance at indoor community events. All indoor events must end at 8pm, and attendees must all be fully seated while masks must be worn at all times.
Attendance at outdoor events, including sporting events, will be limited to 50% or a maximum of 5,000 people, whichever is lower.
Cabinet has also agreed that a maximum of 100 people can attend wedding receptions, which must end at midnight.
The new restrictions will remain in place until Sunday 30 January, when they will be reviewed.
This afternoon, Cabinet rejected advice from NPHET on introducing a 5pm curfew for pubs and restaurants.
Instead, a closing time of 8pm has been imposed for all indoor hospitality, which will remain in place over the coming weeks.
A maximum of six people per table remain allowed in all bars, restaurants and hotels, with table service only, no multiple booking and strict social distancing measures in place.
There are no changes to the numbers allowed for household visits. These should be limited to four households, including your own, at one time.
“Everything that can be done to get the booster into people’s arms is being done,” the Taoiseach said.
“The news will be deeply disappointing for many. It is not the news I wanted to bring you, nor is it the news you wanted to hear.
“However, and this is important: the truth is that we’re in a much better place than we were last year. This Christmas, please be safe and look after each other,” the Taoiseach stated.
There were 3,628 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland this evening. There are 420 people in hospital with the virus, including 105 who are in intensive care.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said 35% of cases were now of the Omicron variant, up from 27% yesterday.
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Wow, the vaccinated and unvaccinated become equals again
Absolute nonsense at this stage…
@Dsds: follow the science, NPHET, they know the science! I’d love to see their little science books for this with the graph paper one side and explanation the other… Mind boggled!
@This time its personable!: What science do NPHET use, close the pubs is the only science that useless lot know.
Reactions throughout the day kept the pubs open for another 3 hours. Why is pub opening hours need to be curtailed yet the biggest driver of infections, primary schools, have to stay open for another 2 1/2 days??? Inconsistent bollocksology.
@Graham Manning: Tony likes schools, he doesn’t like pubs, that’s our dictator for you
@Paul O Neill: Just a matter of reducing interactions overall at the population-level and pubs/restaurants are chosen over schools.
Simple as.
@Fozz: and yet the schools have all the unvaccinated kids spreading the virus, but yea, punish the pubs
@Graham Manning:
Easy. Children’s education is more important than access to pubs. Your welcome.
@Paul O Neill: replace your choice of word “unvaccinated” with other adjectives like “Chinese”,”traveller”, “black”, “Irish” and feell the ignorance of your comment. The vaccinated infect as do the iunvaccinated. You want a scapegoat not a solution.
Pubs and restaurants should just refuse to close and customers should continue going. We will never be out of this unless we say no. 3 jabs into this and we still can’t go out when we want.
@Conrad Leech: Easier said than done. Pubs and restaurants that refuse to close could lose their licences.
@Conrad Leech:
Isn’t it weird that life hasn’t worked out seamlessly for you?? Man up and stop whining.
@Kevin: sure Kevin. Baaaaa Baaaaa.
Here we go again. It’s the schools that are the problems in our area..
@Annette: Yes, the kids are not vaccinated so it’s spreading there, but let’s close the regulated pubs and force people to house party’s again this year, let’s make that a new problem.
@Paul O Neill: It’s insane what NPHET are recommending and then Government acting like they are. Country is gonna be ruined
Gob$hite$
This is bull. People will just have house parties which is worse. The government have just handed power to SF.
Big bag of cans and a field will sort us
Most pubs don’t open now till 4pm. Is this a ploy to get them to open at 10.30am again?
What a joke . They have destroyed our lives Whats going to happen to all the tickets that people have bought .I’m so bloody angry .
@Angela Godfrey Maher: I think they would have to reimburse you.
Does the 8pm apply to residents bar in hotels?
@Diar O Doc: I’d say so. It applied when I stayed in a hotel for midnight last week so can’t see the 8pm being any different
I know you are all fed up with this….but our daughter is a community palliative nurse specialist….have a moment to think how her job is….not whether you can go for that extra pint…she has to do her job with patients who are vaccinated or now and that includes their familes.
This is going to be some weekend . Baton down the hatches .
Do you know why the government has done this its because the kids the kids will be 9n holidays.
have your say