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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
Tony Holohan’s eye twitched at us enjoying Christmas last year. He will try get his way this year.
@ChadChaderson:how many people contracted covid because he didn’t “get his way”, as you put it? How many died? How many are still living with the after effects if the virus in their bodies? There is no chance of the same lockdown scenario occurring but the notion that we should throw all caution to the wind is keeping the numbers up.
@Lily Martin: and tbf to Tony, last Xmas he was mourning his wife after returning in October. So he might have had it in his mind to keep as many of us as he could, fit, healthy and…..alive.
@Lily Martin: Let’s call a spade a spade here, folk were going to ignore the government advice and travel to the other sides if the country over Christmas so didn’t matter a sod. The close contacts of family meetups caused the spikes not the socially distanced mask wearing folk going to the pubs or restaurants.
@Lily Martin: the reality is, the saviour of all graces was the vaccine. those that want it have now got it and are returning to their normal life. I don’t think any of that is hard to understand. covid is here with a year and a half and here to stay. you either live with it by going about your normal life or you shy away. I choose to get back to doing everyday normal things like I did before covid along with many other people. the thing driving the hysteria in some people is giving the covid cases every day.
@Macca1986: yes, along with some sensible precautions
@ChadChaderson: We should’ve been locked down at Christmas. 2021 basically was one giant lockdown thanks to us opening at Christmas.
@ChadChaderson: WE ARE AT WAR WITH A VIRUS ..get in line and play your part!! this is beyond whoever is in government
@ChadChaderson: There is something really dangerous and sinister that Irish people pin their grievances on an individual and personalise this. You only have to look at what happened with the MP in the UK to realise this is not ok. Air your grievances if you must but not at an individual. You come across as an immature creep who needs a bogeyman to justify your opinions.
@Elaine Phelan: like what? mask wearing? majority I see are doing it. social distancing? not so much as social interaction is something that comes naturally to most humans.
@Kenneth Finn: yeah holohan a great man altogether,brilliant man,,go ask the cervical cancer women about him,oh how many have died because of this great mans advice opinion and policies…do you remember the deaths in our nursing homes ,holohan..great man altogether eh.
@ChadChaderson: Hes a man trying to do a tough job. Doesn’t help he has to see cr ap from you know it all lads.
So you can go to the bar at the nightclub but not in the pub. What’s the difference?
@Paul Smith: dont forget to wear your mask when your getting the shift1
@John Smith: And don’t forget the other thing to be worn a bit lower down the body!
@Paul Smith: The difference is that a nite club couldn’t function if people couldn’t risk freely without masks. It’s a trade off to try and allow a business to open
Perfect balance struck today, the vaccinated majority get further freedoms and continued peace of mind when socialising, stricter enforcement of the Covid Certs is needed though as anti-vaxxers are using fraudulent copies.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: Absolutely.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: I have a vaccine passport by virtue of having recovered from covid. Never polluted myself with trial meds.
@James Daly: What trial meds?
@Rebecca BarrettNp: or the covid recovered. Vaccinated or not. :)
@James Daly: No you don’t, the only thing you have is an inflated sense of your self importance. Try being a less selfish human, it helps us all. Thanks.
@Maximus_Demonus #FBPE: and a covid passport. You neglected to mention that conveniently.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: nah…let them have a nite out…being marginalised & treated like they are lepers because they do not want to get a Voluntary Vaccine!!! Will sort out a few mates this wkend!!!
Very frustrated today. Not just because I was mentally using this as another step to normality but because the reality is we are now as a society paying the price of years of at best ineptitude and at worst corruption in the spending of public finances with the black hole that is the health budget being number 1 over the last 30 years.
And to make it worse there is zero accountability for any of it if anything those responsible have prospered.
We lag behind most euro countries on a return to normality for lots of reasons, some being we have an incompetent HSE and because we refuse to accept antigen testing (should have been last year).
And the fact they are putting this out to Feb confirms all the hard work of Irish ppl is just taken adv of and we are being used as a crutch for it.!
@Richie: the government know and we all know quite well we are a bunch of drunks and if let of the leash Covid will spread like wild fire. Simple really.
@Richie: whats your normality Richie?
Congrats everyone.. this is the day people have been waiting for. Like or not, at the end of the day Ireland had one of the best responses to this pandemic in the world by both people and government.
@Lad: your joking right every rule our government makes they contridict it with another one
@Ellie Mae: it’s a pandemic – grow up
So masks in nightclubs except when dancing, eating or drinking :). So you just wear it for the shift :)
@Lucy Legacy: and vomiting.
@Finbarr Spain: ha ha
So masks are still only required in medical places, public transport and indoor retail as planned? That hasn’t changed today?
@: masks still required in hospitality and other settings while not seated at own table
I think some people were expecting a UK style freedom day so whatever happened there were people going to be giving out.
@Niamh Ní Caiside: thanks so only what I listed above, including yours, but no other places like general work places?
@Niamh Ní Caiside: Wear a mask to go to the toilet.
So to clarify, a fully vaccinated asymptomatic person whom is a close contact must now wait for an antigen test to arrive presumably by post to see if they have covid but an unvaccinated known close contact can go to school once they havent had a sleep over…
I work in a bar. I seat people. I interact with 2000 different people per week. Yet people are advised not to work in a office, lol. No sense i any of this. The lack of consistency is embarrassing.
@Stephen Nix: you are assuming there’s a central logic to the decisions, so they should all be consistent.
There isn’t – they are based on calculated risks so comparing them leads to inconsistencies.
You work for a group of organisations that have a strong lobby (the vintners) but a relative small number of employees.
Office-workers work for a divergent non-unified group of employers so there’s no pressure on Govt to force them back, and they are huge numbers so leaving them WFH reduces the overall societal risk of spread.
@Stephen Nix: you’re putting yourself for the good of others, does that not not make you feel.good. I’m.sure those 2000 people are only too delighted! Besides office’s are cramped and air conditioning spreads all sorts of nasties.
Nothing about schools as per usual. Students are not able to do any practical work or experiments due to covid restrictions. Joke.
It’s all up in a heap.. Like mulligans silage..
Can i stand/sit at a bar or not?
Is bar closing still 11.30 or not?
Can I stand up at a sitting down event?
Can I sit down at a standing up event?
Can I take the mask off before I put the fork to my mouth or fork up and mask down?
Can I dance with a mask or without?
It’s really nuckin futs.
Fully Seated Venues , Physical Distancing, how does that work.
we need to find out where this virus came from .. so it does not happened again
Is pub closing time still 11.30?
@Darren Byrne: No back to normal opening hours.
LOOOOOLLL
Are Covid certs required to attend indoor wedding receptions or is there an exemption?
@Cathal Lyons: The way I took it today no but that could just be my interpretation. It was asked at a phone in on the radio today and presenter said no also but he was uncertain too:)
@Cathal Lyons: I think they have lifted restrictions on weddings today.
Can someone explain can you get a paid antigen test in private places, like the ones offered by Dublin airport etc, and use your result to get into nightclubs from Friday? Wondering as some of my friends are not vaccinated are were all unsure on what’s going on
@Nathan Cushen: You have to be vaccinated to go to a nightclub, you won’t be allowed in without a Covid Cert on your phone.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: you can get a covid cert if you have recovered from covid in the last 6 months. That’s my in. And I didn’t have to pollute my body with trial meds.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: But you can get a covid cert with a negative test result.l by getting a paid antigen no?
@Nathan Cushen: Apologies yes, if it’s from a private clinic and the test (antigen or PCR) was taken within 48 hours, you can get the EU Digital Covid Certificate.
@James Daly: you already said it above. Do you not remember?
@Mike Hogan: he thinks ‘trial meds’ sounds good. Leave him off. Bit of a sell out if hes that opposed to them to be availing of the covid cert, mind.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: Thanks for answering. All a bit of a mess still no one knows what’s going on
Gyms full capacity?
What about the un vaccinated going to all these places with fake covid certs
Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, wear a mask, social distance. This is the new normal. Why have people become complacent? The virus is spreading because we have got lazy.
Theres 450 people in icu right now around ireland and were still closed down cause of them
@Ellie Mae: 74 in ICU with covid.
What about the people with no vaccine going out and about with fake covid certs
have your say