Level 5 lockdown returns with travel and household gatherings restricted

Gardaí back in October mounted a checkpoint at Innishannon in Co Cork as part of Operation Fanacht, which was in place due to the countrywide Level 5 lockdown. Picture: Andy Gibson

The country has entered a new period of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in response to rising case numbers and a growing rate of infection in the community. 

This level 5 lockdown, agreed at a Cabinet meeting last week on Tuesday, sees the country return to similar restrictions in place before the start of December. 

Some measures are already in place including the closure of restaurants, gastropubs and personal services like hairdressers and barbers from 3pm on the Friday afternoon of Christmas Eve. 

Under the level 5 plan, revised "with a "number of specific adjustments" according to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the following measures have been introduced: 

• Visitors from two households were allowed until the end of St Stephen’s Day but are now reduced to one household until December 31;
• Travel outside the county is permitted until the end of December 26. People can travel back at their own pace but no new inter-county travel is allowed after that 
• Christmas religious services can take place but move online after December 25;

• Travel restrictions from Britain remain in place until December 31;
• Restaurants and pubs with food close from 3pm on Christmas Eve;
• Hairdressers and personal services to close from Christmas Eve;
• Non-essential retail can remain open Gyms can stay open for individual training. The 5km limit will not be implemented but are encouraged to exercise close to home.

For a full explainer of the new restrictions in place see the latest guidelines announced here. 

The government has said the restrictions are to be reviewed on January 12 but Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has already played down hopes of this. 

According to Mr Varadkar, the public can expect to be under level 5 restrictions for the next two months as the government rolls out their Covid-19 vaccination programme. 

“It will probably be towards the end of February or early March before a critical mass of the population is vaccinated and I think we need to operate on the basis that these restrictions will be in place until then,” Mr Varadkar said.

The new period of restrictions come into effect as the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Comirnaty, has arrived in Ireland. 

Micheál Martin described its arrival as a day of "great hope".

“Those who work in our health services deserve huge credit as they swiftly and safely begin the roll out to the most vulnerable in our society,” said Mr Martin