BRING ON MONDAY!
AFTER months of miserable lockdown restrictions, Leo Varadkar has kicked open the door to a summer of fun – with limitations.
The Taoiseach even tore up his own carefully drawn roadmap, and allowed for more travel, bigger gatherings – indoors and out – and summer camps that will delight the children, and parents even more so.
Starting from Monday, stores can open, and hotels and restaurants will be able
to open from June 29, with the Government hoping staycationing families will give the economy the boost it needs.
The Taoiseach unveiled an accelerated plan out of lockdown that will see the final phase of the roadmap, which was due to end on August 10, scrapped. The country will now exit lockdown on July 20, three weeks ahead of schedule.
Under the revised plan, people can return to the pub in just over three weeks’ time – from June 29 – as long as they can also buy food.
People can meet in groups of six in homes, or 15 outdoors from Monday, when shoppers can also return to all retailers, providing they follow strict new public health measures that will mean staggered opening hours and enforce physical distancing.
You can also travel within your own county, or up to 20km from your home.
‘Summer is not lost,’ the Taoiseach assured us, as we will be able to take staycations from June 29, with hotels, restaurants, hostels, caravan parks, galleries and museums set to reopen on that date.
In a massive relief to parents and families stuck in the house during the pandemic, supervised playgrounds will also reopen, along with some outdoor summer camps, from
‘We are moving forward now’
Monday – three weeks early. However, schools will not reopen before late August, and creches are to remain closed until June 29, while bad hair days will continue as hairdressers, barbers and nail bars staying closed until July 20.
Mr Varadkar said: ‘We have earned the right to be hopeful again’, and he described the measures being introduced on Monday as ‘Phase Two-plus’.
‘I’ve always said we would accelerate the reopening of our country but only if it was safe to do so. Thanks to your actions we have now reached that point. And with your help, we’ll keep moving forward. So we need to stick to what we’ve been doing right,’ he said.
The manoeuvre trumps plans flagged by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin last week, in an interview with the Irish Mail on Sunday, to accelerate the unwinding of restrictions when he becomes Taoiseach, which is likely to be at the end of this month. Mr Varadkar jumped ahead of him and cut the five-phased road map to four, with a number of measures in Phases Three and Four brought forward.
Shopping centres can reopen next week, after they make modifications, and people will not be able to congregate in food courts or other areas in the centres.
Domestic tourism has been given a much-needed boost with travel allowed anywhere within the country in just over three weeks, from June 29.
Bars hoping to reopen as restaurants, with table service only, will be given guidelines next week, they will not need to apply for a new license.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is reviewing guidelines around potentially reducing the two-meter physically distanced guidelines
for the hospitality sector. The Taoiseach said there was no date yet for when international travel would begin, or when ‘airbridges’ would be set up with other countries – this would allow Irish tourists travel to another country, and they could come here, but depending on how they have dealt with the virus. He warned it would be ‘premature’ to book flights abroad.
Over 70s and vulnerable people who have been ‘cocooning’ can have small numbers visit them in their homes, for short periods, from Monday. However, the two meters of physical distancing must be maintained.
Grandchildren are still not allowed hug their grandparents. The Taoiseach admitted: ‘I know this has been a particularly difficult period for those who are over 70 and people who are medically vulnerable, and many have yearned to break free from cocooning, a term that I know some people find insulting, rather than reassuring, but now there is cause for hope.’ Shops will have to provide special designated hours for vulnerable groups too.
The number of mourners who can attend a funeral will rise from ten to 25 from Monday.
Marts can also reopen, greyhound racing can take place behind closed doors and public libraries will also reopen.
Business Minister Heather Humphreys said that 1,000 inspections of workplaces had taken place and another 500 will be done.
However, she was unable to tell the Irish Daily Mail if there had been any breaches detected. Instead, saying she was told there was ‘high compliance’.
‘Now there is cause for hope’