When is the phase 4 announcement? Everything you need to know

The Government is set to make an announcement today on whether Ireland can move safely into phase 4 of the roadmap on August 10 as scheduled.

The National Public Health Emergency team is due to meet this morning and with cases of Covid-19 on the rise in recent days, it would appear that certain elements of phase 4 may not go ahead as planned.

One sector that will be keeping a close eye on proceedings is hospitality, with pubs and hotel bars around the country waiting to hear if they can reopen for the first time since March. While establishments that serve food have been allowed to open since June 29, those that don’t have a dining option have remained closed since March 15.

Other areas that will be discussed at the NPHET meeting include whether to increase the capacity of indoor events from 50 to 100 and outdoor events from 200 to 500. This will be of particular interest to couples who have wedding plans this summer and sporting organisations who hope to allow more fans to attend matches.

Once this morning’s NPHET meeting is finished, the recommendations will be brought to Cabinet, where they will be discussed further this afternoon. After this, the Government is expected to address the public with its decisions on phase 4 of Ireland’s roadmap.

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