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LAST UPDATE | 14 Jul 2020
CONCERN HAS BEEN expressed to the government by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) about the planned reopening of all pubs on Monday.
It is understood that while there was no specific recommendation on whether to reopen or not, the team raised issues around the recent increase in case numbers, particularly in young people.
Phase Four of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions is due to kick in on Monday, subject to Cabinet approval tomorrow evening.
The main changes under Phase Four allow for the reopening of:
Earlier today, the Taoiseach indicated there were concerns over gatherings of people, particularly house parties where 30 or 40 people are attending.
Today, no Covid-related deaths were reported - the third day in a row this has occurred.
NPHET confirmed a further 32 cases, bringing the total number of cases in Ireland to 25,670.
Yesterday, 11 new cases were confirmed, while 17 were reported on Sunday and 23 on Saturday.
Prior to today’s latest figures being released, the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar strongly indicated that pubs would be given the green light to reopen on 20 July.
However, government sources state this evening that there is now uncertainty about what will be decided tomorrow.
“I do hope it will be possible for them to reopen. I know there has been an uptick in the number of Covid cases in the last week or two but it is still in the teens or about 20 per day,” Varadkar had said. “We did think there would be a slight increase in cases as we eased restrictions. I don’t think the increase has been so enormous that at this stage it prevents us from moving to stage four.”
The Tánaiste added that he could not state whether the Cabinet decision to reopen Phases Four sectors would be “affirmative” or “negative”, adding it “isn’t a decision for me on my own”.
Varadkar said the government did anticipate that there would be “spikes and clusters” with the reopening of the country, but indicated there wouldn’t be a nationwide lockdown again.
Varadkar’s comments follow on from Coveney yesterday stating that he too was hopeful the government could move ahead with the reopening of the country under Phase 4 next week.
He told reporters at Dublin Castle that the government would take public health advice into consideration when making such decisions “both on international travel as well as on pubs and gatherings, both indoors and outdoors”.
“That is how the previous government and now this government has approached each of these decisions,” he said.
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Thumbs up to E.S.B. as they risk life and limb in dangerous weather to restore power to homes. If only the Health Care System was run as effectively.
@Rosemarie Martin:
Isn’t that what they sign up to do and get paid for
@Rosemarie Martin: you really think it’s that simple? You think you could fix the health Care system here? Lol!
Power just back on in Achill. Well done ESB.
Fantastic effort once again by Esb restoring power on the same day as fault.
Well done to the ESB, terrible weather to be out in.
Well done to the ESB..power restored in Carrick On Shannon, great service.
Every time there is a storm some bastrd has robbed my clothes off my washing line ,the exact same thing happened the last storm we had, i think its the guy from a house 2 doors from me , the last time it happened i saw him wearing a jumper like mine that my wife got me from marks and spencers for my birthday a couple of days after the storm,well i could,nt believe it ,i went out a few minutes ago and all my good shirts are gone ,eff this i am going up to his house to show him i am not the fool he must think i am .
@Julie Burn: well i went up to knocked on his door ,no anwser ,no one was in ,so i had a little look around his house and in his back garden u wont believe it ,under a trampolean theres some of my shirts ,the dirty robbing bastrd must of hid them there and when out somewere for an alibi,so i went down to my house and got a tin of red paint and a paint brush ,got on any dark clothes and cut 2 holes in my sons wooly hat stuck it on my head and went out my back garden climbed over the fences into his back garden opened the paint and painted all over his windows and walls ,we all know your the robbing bstrd that keeps robbing the washing lines and you can keep the poxy jumper you robbed the last storm i never liked it anyway
@Julie Burn: Will we get next exciting episode tomorrow or do we have to wait for the next stirm…..
@John003: jesus i just heard a someone shouting outside my other neighbours house ,the nieghbour who robbed my jumper is screaming i am going to kill him,his wife is trying to hold him back,the neighbour he is shouting at is
@Julie Burn: cowaring behind his wife behind there red front door ,the neighbour who robbed my jumper is shouting it was you yeh bastrd , you wont call me a robbing bastrd ,rob your clothes the state of ye ,there would need to be 2 of me to fit into your clothes you fat little umpa
My brother and my brother in law who work for sligo co.co and Sligo IT are out now closing roads and restoring power and networks. I will worry until they are home. Several trees down.
Several tr
Well done to the ESB, power back in Carrick On Shannon
The shift north caught a lot of people on the hop even though various models had predicted it. Cavan added to orange warning at 7… Was certainly a now cast.
I’m just waiting for somebody to ask again if the Westport Court hotel is flooded!
Great work by the ESB a truly great organisation. If only our teachers were as efficient
The ESB a great bunch of lads!!
I often wonder when electricity was first brought to Ireland had they have buried the cables underground how much money would have been saved thus far between overtime etc.
@Tom Harpur: none,your welcome
@Tom Harpur: underground cables develop faults too, and it costs a lot more to repair them
@Amanda McMahon:
But they are less susceptible to bad weather so the faults would be much more manageable with less customer inconvenience
@Amanda McMahon: and you can’t go underground with really high voltages
About time that power lines were underground.
Great work by the ESB. If only our teachers were as efficient
Mayo was never included on your earlier posts regarding the Orange weather warning only Munster, Leinster and South Galway. This poor reporting has put people’s lives in danger as it was not expected. Typical bulls**t
@Dwayne Jordan: So you think “poor reporting” on behalf of the journal.ie has put lives in Mayo at risk? Okayyyyyy.
@Dwayne Jordan: … You rely on the journal for severe weather alerts?
@Dwayne Jordan:
You are joining Enda and P Flynn in the illustrious group of thick people from may. You probably think you can win an all Ireland next year too
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