We’re not going to Phase Four.
On Wednesday evening, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that the Cabinet had decided against moving on to Phase Four of the roadmap of reopening the country on Monday.
Instead, he announced the current restrictions had been extended for another three weeks, meaning that pubs and nightclubs would not be permitted to open until 10 August.
Pubs that can operate as restaurants and serve a substantial meal can continue to operate as they have since June.
Face coverings are to be mandatory in retail stores and permitted gatherings will remain at current levels of 50 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.
Speaking at a press conference following a Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle, Martin said that the Government had identified a number of focus areas.
- Face coverings must be worn in all shops, shopping centres and retail stores. Staff in stores must also wear them unless there is a partition between them and the customers or they are two metres away.
- Pubs and bars, nightclubs, casinos and hotel bars will remain closed until 10 August but pubs which serve food can remain open.
- Social visits to other people’s homes are limited to 10 people with no more than four different households.
- Current restrictions of 50 people on indoor gatherings, 200 at outdoor gatherings remain in place.
- The Government continues to advise against all non-essential travel.
Speaking on Wednesday, acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that the reproductive number of the virus had risen to between 1.2 and 1.8.
House parties were highlighted as a problem with a number of the clusters coming from private homes which is why limits of 10 people in other people’s homes were introduced.
Micheál Martin said it was vital the R number was brought back below one.
He also said a green list of countries would be published on 20 July and would be monitored and kept under constant review.
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