New restrictions: Key points

The Taoiseach has announced the following new restrictions:

  • From Christmas Eve until January 12th the country is returning to Level 5 with some adjustments. 

  • Non-essential retail can stay open but sales events can't happen.

  • Gyms and leisure centres open.

  • Further measures from Christmas eve until January 12th: 
    • Hotels may only open for essential, non-social, non-tourist purposes. 
    • Schools, early learning and childcare services remain open. 
    • Higher, further and college education should remain online.
    • Churches are set to close after Christmas Day with worship moving online. 
    • Weddings will be allowed to have 25 attendees until midnight on January 1st, and reduce to 6 from the 2nd.
    • In some positive news it was confirmed to Ministers that 40,000 doses of the vaccine will arrive every week in January.
    • Non-contact training in pods of up to 15 may take place outdoors.
    • No matches and events should take place, except for professional and elite sports, and horse-racing and greyhound racing behind closed tours. 
    • Non-contact training in pods of up to 15 may take place outdoors.
    • No matches and events should take place, except for professional and elite sports, and horse-racing and greyhound racing behind closed tours. 
  • The following transitional arrangements will also apply for the Christmas period:

    1) Restaurants and gastro-pubs will close from 3pm on December 24th.

    2) Hotels may provide food and bar services to guests only after that point.

    3) Visits from two other households to homes will allowed until December 26th.

    4) Visits from up to one other household to homes will be allowed up to December 31st.

    5) From January 1st, no visits are allowed in homes or gardens, except for essential family reasons.

    6) Travel outside your county will be allowed until December 26th inclusive, but not thereafter.

    7) Christmas religious services will go online from December 26th.

 

 

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