These new restrictions are currently scheduled to remain in place until Thursday, January 7.
As part of the staged easing of COVID-19 restrictions across the country, new guidelines will come into effect nationwide from tomorrow (Friday, December 18) for three weeks, until Thursday, January 7.
The two biggest changes to the new guidelines are:
- Inter-county travel is now permitted – under the two previous levels of restriction lifted on December 1 and December 4, travelling outside of your county was not permitted unless absolutely necessary
- Visitors to your home are allowed from up to two other households – previously, there were no visitors allowed into your home, unless they were part of your support bubble
In reference to home visits, the Living with Covid plan states the following:
“In outdoor settings away from your home or garden, a maximum of 3 households can meet while maintaining strict physical distancing.”
Other restrictions under the new guidelines will remain unchanged, including:
- No more than 50 people at places of worship
- Museums, galleries, and cinemas to remain open
- Restaurants and pubs operating as restaurants to remain open
- “Wet pubs” only operational as delivery or take-away
- Non-essential retail to remain open
Currently, from January 7, it is expected that Level 3 restrictions will be put back in place, with amendments once again for limited home visits and remaining within your own county.
Meanwhile, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet today (Thursday, December 17) to discuss the recent rise in Covid-19 numbers, with CMO Tony Holohan describing the situation as “concerning”.
Additionally, it was reported this week that the Cabinet is set to meet on Tuesday, December 29 to discuss the possibility of bringing forward the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions.
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