Major easing of Covid restrictions to be announced this week

A man walks past empty seating outside a pub in Dublin, after the 8pm closing time was introduced. File Picture: Damien Storan/PA

A major easing of Covid-19 restrictions is to be announced this week, amid growing optimism that the worst of the Omicron wave is over.

A number of significant measures are to be recommended by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), which meets on Thursday, including the ending of the 8pm closure time of pubs and restaurants.

Senior Government sources have told the Irish Examiner it is their expectation that Nphet will approve a new opening time of 12 midnight for all licensed premises.

It is also expected that 100% capacity will be permitted at outdoor sporting events, meaning a full house for upcoming Six Nations rugby championships matches.

Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, is expected to confirm that the Omicron peak has passed. File Picture

There will be a relaxation on the numbers allowed to attend indoor sporting and entertainment events and it's expected the current limit of 100 people at weddings will also increase significantly.

A resumption of the phased return to offices for all workers is also on the cards.

The relaxation of restrictions will likely come into force at the end of January and a Cabinet meeting could be called for Friday to approve the recommendations.

Contingency plans, including future vaccination programmes, will be developed to help the country to cope with future waves of Covid-19, particularly next winter, in the hope the country can remain free of lockdowns.

“There is an expectation the chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan and Nphet will state this week that the Omicron peak has passed. The hospitalisations are falling and the surge has not happened. So we can afford to be optimistic,” said one senior Government source.

Case numbers fall

The optimism comes in face of a major drop in case numbers. 

Yesterday saw 6,329 PCR-confirmed cases of the virus reported and a further 4,810 antigen tests registered on the HSE portal. There are now 1,006 Covid-19 patients in hospital, of which 97 are in intensive care.

However, while sources have put the steady hospital numbers down to high booster uptake, Dr Holohan said that almost 70% of those under 35 who had received their primary doses have not yet received the booster.