TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has announced recommended limits on the number of people who visit a home at one time.
“There is evidence that unrestricted house parties have led to a rise in recent outbreaks of the virus,” Martin said at a government press briefing this evening.
“It is now recommended that social visits to people’s homes will be limited to a maximum of ten visitors from no more than four households.”
Restrictions on indoor gatherings to 50 and outdoors to 200 will also remain until August 10.
Martin made the announcement at a post-Cabinet briefing this evening, where it was also announced that the planned reopening of pubs that don’t serve food was being pushed back from 20 July until 10 August.
Serious concerns were raised yesterday at a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team regarding the re-opening of pubs, given the rising number of cases of Covid-19 in the country.
Some of the most recent cases have originated from clusters in congregated settings, and it is feared that Ireland is not yet ready to move to the next stage of re-opening the economy.
Health officials earlier confirmed a further 14 cases of Covid-19. 32 new cases were confirmed yesterday.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said this evening: “This virus is extremely infectious.
“It wants to spread but it needs people to come into contact with each other to do so.”
He said the reproductive number had risen above one, to between 1.2-1.8.
Glynn added the number of cases had increased over recent days and expressed concern about the number of contacts in some cases and over the development of clusters.
Martin said his main priority was to reopen schools in September then resume non-Covid health services as quickly as he could.
“If we did not intervene and take these measures it would take an inevitable course, which is in nobody’s interest.”
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