'Worrying' numbers means moving Dublin to level 3 is 'likely'
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Wet pubs in Dublin are to remain closed and limiting the number of visitors to homes will come into force from midnight tonight, under new government restrictions.
In a bid to provide clarity to the country, the Cabinet has approved its ‘Living with Covid Plan’ following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at Dublin Castle on Tuesday morning.
Ireland will have a new five-level Covid-19 restriction system with the country placed on level 2, and Dublin placed on a level "somewhere between level 2 and level 3".
“It is tighter than level 2 but not quite level 3,” said one source after a detailed discussion among ministers.
However, while Dublin is officially at level 2, but there is a strong sense from senior sources that a move to level 3 next week is “likely”.
- No more than 2 households should meet at any given time. People should only have visitors from 1 other household to their home. People can continue to socialise in indoor or outdoor public venues, but only with people from their own household or one other household, and in groups of no more than 6 people
- Pubs and bars (not serving food) in Dublin should not open on the 21st of September
- The exemption allowing a maximum of 200 patrons at certain outdoor venues with a minimum accredited capacity of 5,000 will not yet apply to venues in Dublin.
- Higher-level and further education institutions in Dublin should consider what enhanced protective measures are necessary to ensure safe recommencement of on-site activities
- Those living in Dublin should be encouraged to limit travel outside Dublin if possible, and when outside the county, they should not meet with more than one other household
Under the plan, announced today, counties and regions will be rated 1-5 on their handling of the virus, with the country being ranked at a level 2 currently.
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It is believed there is some concern among some ministers that nearly 600 more people have Covid in Dublin now than when Nphet recommended to Government to bring in extra measures for Dublin five days ago.
The plan says guidance will be published for each level and how a move from one level to another will be decided upon, but it is not present in the plan.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the decision to leave Dublin at level 2 but with enhanced restrictions was driven by public health advice by Nphet.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Mr Martin rejected that decision is confusing but said there is a real need to get the numbers in Dublin under control.
“I understand how people feel exhausted with thinking about coronavirus and coping with its impact. We're not yet able to make Covid-19 a part of our past. But we have a lot more clarity about how we can get to that point,” he said.
And I would say to the people of Dublin and indeed the country, rising rates of infection can be reversed by concerted public action by all of us adhering to the guidance and taking this personal responsibility,” the Taoiseach said.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that by doing the right things we can protect each other. He said he understood that people are feeling frustrated and anxious, but that nothing is certain about Covid-19.
The Fine Gael leader added that the country has reason to be hopeful because of what we have learned about the virus. The Tánaiste also said that the Government will review existing financial supports for businesses in the budget, paying particular attention to businesses that have had to stay closed.
Earlier, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the plan was envisaged to run for six to nine months. Mr Donnelly said that the experience of local lockdowns in the Midlands had shown that the virus could be suppressed.
"So what we learned from the good work of the people in Kildare, Laois and Offaly is that if you move locally and if you move quickly and if the community gets behind the public health doctors and their advice, the virus can be suppressed and be suppressed very quickly."
Dr Tomas Ryan, Associate Professor at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, at Trinity College Dublin has called for "meaningful action" to be taken "as soon as possible" in Dublin in relation to Covid-19 cases, as is it "clear that there is a problem".
Dr Ryan warned that instances of Covid in Dublin will double every two weeks, and will accelerate beyond that rate, if decisive actions are not taken.
"It is one thing for politicians to be clear about what they mean, but it's another to be clear in minds of all of us. The guidelines should be clear so that we know how to react. There should be a good shared understanding of what requirements are,” he said.
Reducing our number of contacts is a "crucial component" in limiting the spread of Covid-19 in Dublin, he said.
He also said that Ireland's testing and tracing system "seems to be at its limit" and "needs to be reinvented".