13 deaths and 970 Covid-19 cases confirmed as fresh period of restrictions announced
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said the current trajectory of the disease in the community is of grave concern.
- Inter-county travel banned from December 26, after this people will be permitted to return to their place of residence;
- Household visits limited to one other household from December 27. From January 1, no household or garden visits permitted;
- Travel to and from Britain banned until December 31;
- Non-essential retail to remain open;
- Hairdressers, barbers, gastro-pubs and restaurants to close 3pm on December 24;
- Gyms remain open for individual training;
- Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are open for those with essential non-social and non-tourist purposes;
- Up to 10 mourners can attend a funeral;
- Weddings can have up to 25 guests, from January 3 weddings can have up to six guests;
- Christmas religious services may take place, after December 25 places of worship open for private prayer.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan has said the country has seen extraordinary growth in the incidence of Covid-19 over the past five days.
He said the current trajectory of the disease in the community is of grave concern.
Today, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) confirmed 13 additional deaths related to Covid-19.
This brings the death toll in Ireland to 2,171.
The HPSC has been notified of 970 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
There is now a total of 81,228 cases of Covid-19 in the Republic, this figure reflects the denotification of nine confirmed cases.
In the past seven days to midnight on Monday, there have been 4,478 cases reported.
As of 2pm this afternoon, there are 238 Covid-19 patients in hospital, of which 28 are in ICU.
There have been 23 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Of the 970 cases notified today, the largest portion is located in Dublin with 348 cases in the capital.
This is followed by 60 in Limerick, 59 in both Cork and Wexford and 55 in Louth.
The remaining 389 cases are spread across 20 other counties.
Dr Holohan said this evening that the last seven days to Monday saw an increase of more than 110% over the preceding week.
"In the last five days, we have seen extraordinary growth in the incidence of the virus across the country, significantly increasing the level of risk associated with the kind of inter-generational mixing that is normally experienced over the Christmas holidays.
"It is up to each one of us to rethink our plans for this Christmas period, especially when it comes to visiting older or more medically vulnerable family members and friends."
The national 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 currently stands at 138.2.
There are six counties with a 14-day incidence rate above 200 - Donegal at 290.8, Louth at 273.1, Wexford at 237.8, Kilkenny at 236.8, Monaghan at 213.4 and Carlow at 200.2.
Dr Holohan said news that the first Covid-19 vaccines will be administered on December 30 gives us cause for hope.
"However, widespread vaccination of the population will take time, so we need to continue to adhere to the public health advice on handwashing, keeping 2m distance, wearing face coverings where appropriate, covering our coughs and reducing our social contacts for the duration of the Level 5 restrictions.
"By working together we can reduce the spread of Covid-19 and safeguard our schools and our hospitals."
The highest daily number of Covid-19 community swabs were carried out yesterday.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid says 14,000 took place in swabbing centres alone.
He says pop-up swabbing centres are also now in place in Wexford, Waterford, Donegal and Slane, Co Meath.
Meanwhile, the HSE has said people who have travelled from Britain to Ireland since December 8 should self-isolate by staying in their room rather than just restricting their movements by staying home.
It is in response to a new variant of the virus detected in parts of England.
The travellers are also being told to call their GP in order to get a Covid-19 test.
Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE, added: “This is a stricter form of advice than the standard 'restrict movements' advice that would otherwise apply to persons travelling to Ireland, but our priorities must be to keep our friends and family safe over Christmas.
"I am asking all those who have travelled to please heed this advice and show this meitheal spirit that we have seen throughout the pandemic.
"The HSE has written to clinical teams to inform them of this advice and we thank them for their continued support and assistance."
Traditional post-Christmas sales "cannot happen" this year, the Finance Minister has warned.
Paschal Donohoe has said the latest restrictions, which will see pubs and restaurants close on Christmas Eve, will cost an extra €20m to €25m in Covid-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) payments.
He said that "based on the possibility of there being Level 5 or equivalent measures for next year" the Government expects that between 250,000 and 300,000 people will be unemployed in 2021.
However, he said the Government had "framed Budget 2021 in anticipation of there being further days like this" which will impact the economy.
Singling out retail, which will remain open as the country re-enters tighter restrictions, Mr Donohoe said these businesses have a "very special a particular responsibility on their shoulders" to ensure their staff and customers are kept safe.
He said: "It does mean that the traditional sales that would happen towards the end of this year and the start of next year can't happen in the way they have.
"There is a responsibility now, even more so, to ensure that at a time of the year that will be busy for our shops and anybody who's in those shops, either working in them or looking to purchase within them, that they are kept safe."
He said 2020 has been particularly difficult for those running restaurants, cafes, pubs and cafes and the measures are being imposed at a time when they were hoping to recoup some of the losses made throughout the year.
"It is now, however, incumbent on all of us to do all we can to continue to respond to a disease that unfortunately is changing within our country."
One hotel owner has said the restrictions placed on hotel operations are devastating for staff.
Under the new restrictions to be introduced in the coming days and weeks, hotels may only open for essential non-social and non-tourist reasons.
There is an exception for guests who already have a booking and are due to check-in up to and including December 26.
General Manager of Buswells Hotel in Dublin, Paul Gallagher, says workers will be devastated.
"It really is quite devastating and the idea that staff are all lowly paid in hotels is absolute nonsense," said Mr Gallagher.
"So the €350 PUP maximum payment is really a pittance to anyone earning €30-€40,000 each year.
"These are people going poor at home with no mortgage breaks open to them.
"It is absolutely devastating to them."
Following the extension of the travel ban to and from the UK, Aer Lingus has said it will not operate flights from Britain to Ireland while the ban remains in place.
Flights from Ireland to Britain will continue in order to facilitate the repatriation of customers to Great Britain and those with connecting flights in Great Britain.
In a statement, the airline said: “Customers whose flights have been cancelled will be contacted by Aer Lingus directly, and are entitled to a refund, voucher or rerouting at a later date.”
Meanwhile, the Irish Hairdressers Federation has said it is "immensely disappointing" that they are to close from 3pm on Christmas Eve.
"It is devastating to us, our staff and, most importantly, our clients. Many of our clients are elderly, and their local hair salon plays a major role as a social outlet and is vital to their mental health," the Federation said this afternoon.
They called on the Government to allow hair salons to remain open with strict adherence to their health and safety guidelines which have been recently updated.
"Our focus, as always, will be to ensure that hair salons continue to operate safely and responsibly.
"The hair industry is not just a major contributor to local economies around Ireland, it helps keep countless main streets alive and is a huge part of local communities."
The Taoiseach has confirmed that the country will enter a fresh period of Covid-19 restrictions.
Micheál Martin said the Government was acting “quickly and aggressively” in response to rising infection rates.
Household visits will be limited to one other household from December 27.
From January 1 however, no gatherings among households in private homes and gardens will be permitted.
Making the announcement this afternoon, Mr Martin also confirmed inter-county travel will be banned after December 26 and the ban on travel to and from Britain will be extended until December 31.
People will be able to travel beyond their county up until the end of Stephen’s day. People who are away from home after December 26 will be allowed to return home.
Speaking at Government buildings, Mr Martin said: "One thing which remains absolutely consistent of this virus is that it is potentially deadly,"
"And if it is left to spread unchecked. It will reach the most vulnerable, and they will pay a heavy price."
The Taoiseach said the measures equated to Level 5 on Ireland’s Covid response plan with a few adjustments.
Non-essential retail will remain open however hairdressers, barbers, gastro-pubs and restaurants will close at 3pm on Christmas eve.
Gyms can stay open for individual training.
Weddings will be reduced to six people and hotels will not be open for non-essential booking after December 26.
Christmas religious services can take place but services move online after December 25. Churches will remain open for private prayer.
Public transport will operate at a reduced capacity from December 27th, according to Minister Eamon Ryan.
It is expected 300 people will return to Ireland on the first repatriation flight this evening.
The Taoiseach acknowledged that "a lot of people will be receiving today's news with a heavy heart. I know that I bring it to you with one, but each and every one of us needs to remember that while we may not feel like what we have done today and what we are doing now, is saving lives, because of the sacrifices that so many are making.
"Many, many people who are alive today would not be otherwise."
He added: "As despondent as any of us might feel with the return of restrictions, it is important to remember that the hope is real. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are on the way."
The Taoiseach says new laws will be drawn up for extra enforcement for the new measures although many already exist.
Restrictions are to be reviewed on January 12.
The Department of Social Protection has unveiled new measures for those who have lost their job unexpectedly with the new restrictions.
Anyone who applies for PUP online via www.MyWelfare.ie anytime up to Christmas Eve will receive that payment within a week of the application.
A person who makes a new application for PUP in the period from the December 18 up to and including close of business today will receive their payment on Christmas Eve.
Those making a new PUP application by the close of business on Wednesday, December 23 will receive payment on Wednesday, December 30.
The Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says no one expected closures to come this quickly.
“I think for businesses across the country in the hospitality sector and those who provide personal services being closed a third time is devastating for those businesses and their staff, while there may have been an expectation they may have to close for a certain period in January, nobody as recently as this weekend though it would happen so soon,” he said.
“I express to them my deep sympathy, as has been the case in the past government will step in to help and we agreed the CRSS will be paid as a double week for the next two weeks and weekly payment then for as long as they have been closed.
“We have decided EWSS will continue into the new year and a commercial rated holiday in the new year for all the businesses that have been closed.
“We’ll also have a reopening grant in the summer.” Mr Varadkar said it was hard to pinpoint a timeline when life will go back to normal.
“We should all operate on the basis that these restrictions will be in place for the first two months of next year.
“The safest thing you can do is stay at home, you won’t be infected on your couch at home.”
Earlier, the cabinet met for an early morning meeting in Dublin Castle after a grave warning from Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan last night.
Dr Holohan told the three party leaders that Ireland will need to go back into Level 5 restrictions after Christmas due to the exponential rise in cases and concern that a new, more transmittable strain of Covid19 has reached Ireland.
Christmas religious services can take place but services move online after December 25. Churches will remain open for private prayer.
Restrictions are to be reviewed on January 12 The Covid19 figures for today are expected to be above 900 in terms of new cases expected this evening.
One minister told the Examiner "this is the most serious challenge we've faced since March".
"We've basically been described a situation which has higher growth than October, but the critical difference is we're seeing higher growth in older people, in October we saw cases amongst younger people.
"It was very sombre, worried and concerned.
"Now we have a worrying rise in people over 65s, it's an October number with a March age profile.
"We don't know if the new strain is here, we have to presume and act as if it is because cases are rising exponentially, three days ago we had 500, tonight will be not far off 1000, tomorrow will be 1000 or more."
It's understood there was no descent from anyone during the cabinet meeting about tightening restrictions because of "the gravity of it".
"The general view was we have to go with this, and maybe tweak the restrictions on January 12.
"I think we're looking at the entire month of January and February having the same restrictions announced today."
The cabinet did receive some good news that vaccines for Covid-19 are arriving on St Stephens day, and we will begin vaccinating people on December 30.
From the first week of January, 40,000 vaccines a week will arrive to vaccinate 20,000 people a week.
Ireland only has 30,000 in nursing homes the Minister added: "We're going to have a very precarious and dangerous January and February but we could see a very different picture after February.
The cabinet will meet again next Tuesday.
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