Government to consider further restrictions in Dublin following spike in cases

A woman wheels an office chair through Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The Government is to consider introducing tighter restrictions in Dublin following advice from public health experts.

It comes amid concern over the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the city.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government is to decide on the date to reopen wet pubs during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The Government is also expected to rubber stamp the final details of its Covid-19 medium-term plan, which is to be published next week.

Mr Martin also said the Cabinet will consider advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in relation to the growing number of cases in Dublin.

“We are developing a new framework and a new plan in terms of dealing with Covid for the next six months.

“We have worked with the chief medical officer (Dr Ronan Glynn) in this regard and NPHET, that is work still in progress,” Mr Martin said on Friday.

“One of the key aspects of that will be a modification of the structure by which advice is filtered to government and making sure we can implement whatever is advised.

“We will consider NPHET’s advice on Tuesday in relation to Dublin but we will be publishing a national plan in relation to dealing with Covid in all its aspects.

“In that framework, consideration has to be given to the economic situation, to protecting jobs, making sure citizens have a quality of life.

“Fundamentally what will drive the plan is personal behaviour and all of us have to focus on personal behaviour.

“People are fatigued, I understand that, people are fed up of restrictions and they would love to go back to the normality we once experienced but the virus will be around for a while.

“We have got to be smart and resilient in how we deal with it.”

Mr Martin made the comments while visiting Global Shares in Clonakilty in West Cork. The financial technology company is creating 150 jobs.

Latest figures show that Dublin, Kildare and Limerick made up almost two thirds of all new Covid-19 cases.

A total of 497 cases were recorded in the week ending September 4, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

On Thursday, acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there are worrying signs of increased community transmission.