COVID-19 CERTIFICATES WILL now be required for access to cinemas and theatres under new changes announced by the Taoiseach this evening. 

Vaccination or Covid-19 recovery certs have been a requirement in different areas including indoor hospitality for several months.

From midnight on Thursday, they will also be required to get into cinemas and theatres. Some facilities had already brought in this measure prior to the new mandatory requirement. 

Last week, the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said he would be in favour of using the certificates for places like gyms and hairdressers. 

“There’s nothing to stop organisations as part of a responsible set of measures requiring the pass as part of their activities, whatever they may be, to protect their customers or staff or members or whatever,” he said at a press briefing. 

“Yes, of course we would be in favour, the more we can see assurance around measures in place in different settings the better.”

However, this is not among the requirements announced by the government this evening. 

Micheál Martin confirmed a number of other updated Covid-19 measures this evening including a midnight closing time for pubs, restaurants and nightclub from this Thursday onwards.