PUBS AND RESTAURANTS will have to close at 8pm from Monday until January 30th.
On Thursday night, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) issued its recommendations to Government which included a 5pm closure for restaurants and bars. An agreement has been reached by the Cabinet to instead implement an 8pm closing time which comes into effect this Sunday.
These measures will be review by the middle of January.
Measures to be introduced from Monday evening:
- Restaurants and bars (excluding takeaways/delivery) must close at 8pm
- No indoor events after 8pm
- Earlier indoor events capped at 50% or 1,000 attendees
- Outdoor events capped at 50% or 5,000 attendees, whichever lower
- Wedding receptions capped at 100 attendees and to conclude by midnight
- No changes to household visits (remains at four households)
- No changes to domestic travel
- Close contacts with a booster must restrict their movements for 5 days after notification
- Unboosted close contacts must restrict their movement for 10 days after notification
Speaking from Government buildings in another national address, Taoiseach Micheál Martin (FF) warned that the Omicron variant “is exploding throughout Europe”. “The level of concern is the highest that I have seen, we are still in the early days of this new wave. We are going to see a massive rise in infections, over a third of all new cases are a result of omicron”.
He said that vaccines are on their own are not sufficient to stop the new variant and that measures to reduce people’s contacts are warranted. The Cork man acknowledged that the entire country was “exhausted” about hearing of the virus. “We cannot wish it away and there is no silver bullet”.
“The news will be deeply disappointing for many. It is not the news I wanted to bring you. nor is it the news you wanted to hear. However, and this is important: the truth is that we are in a much better place than we were this time last year.”
