LEO PINTS THE WAY
Lockdown lifting as pubs, hotels and shops to reopen by end of June
LEO Varadkar yesterday fast-tracked Ireland’s lockdown easing and gave the green light to pubs to open at the end of the month.
The five phases in the roadmap will now be cut to just four, allowing the “new normal” to take effect on July 20.
The Taoiseach said: “Summer is not lost and this can be a summer of hope if we keep the virus at bay.”
From Monday people can travel anywhere within their own county or up to 20km from their home.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health said last night seven more people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland, bringing the overall death toll to 1,670.
ALL pubs serving food can reopen for business without a restaurant licence on June 29, it was confirmed yesterday.
And every bar and restaurant in the country can begin to trade again from July 20 when lockdown is over, three weeks earlier than expected.
Pubs were originally set a date of August 10 to get back in business.
Now as long as they can provide table service and behave like a restaurant, they will be allowed to reopen.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the extra easing of the roadmap out of lockdown at a landmark press conference where he branded Monday’s new phase as “phase two-plus”.
This is because he has sped-up a number of lockdown lifts and shortened the whole process from five phases to four.
It means Lockdown 2020 will now officially end on July 20 instead of August 10. Other liberties being restored from Monday include the opening of High Street businesses as long as a shop has an entrance onto a street and the reopening of playgrounds and libraries.
Travel limits are being extended to 20km or as far as you like as long as it is in your own county and cocooners can now have visitors inside their own homes.
Shopping centres can reopen from June 15 and funerals can have up to 25 mourners in attendance from Monday.
Mr Varadkar said this was all possible because of the sacrifices of the Irish people.
He added: “I can confirm it is safe to move to phase two of the plan to reopen our country from Monday. This has been made possible by the considerable sacrifices that you have made to restrict the spread of the virus and protect others.”
Earlier pub reopening for those who get their cooks’ aprons on was welcomed by the hospitality and pub trades last night.
Licensed Vintners Association chief Donall O’keeffe said: “After a prolonged period of uncertainty pubs who serve food are relieved to finally receive the green light from Government that they can definitely reopen along with restaurants on June 29.”
The news that saloons can swing open their doors again with limited regulation was confirmed
by Mr Varadkar during his lockdown lifting speech. He told the Irish Mirror the reopening will apply to “pubs and bars that can operate as if they were restaurants, but they won’t need to have a restaurant licence”.
He added: “Next week we will publish detailed guidance for hotels, bars and restaurants, cafes, and it will all be set out in that.
“But to give you an impression of what will be allowed, bars, pubs that can operate as restaurants, will be allowed to do so. So that will mean table service, socially distant, but not people sitting at a bar, or, you know, hanging around, standing, as you might like to do in a pub.
“It will effectively be pubs and bars that can operate as if they were restaurants, but they won’t need to have a restaurant licence though.”
Enterprise Minister Heather Humphreys said the Government had listened to the concerns of businesses and decided to allow them to open earlier.
But she stressed people should not think about going shopping for fun, saying: “A trip to the shopping centre will not be a day out.” And Health Minister Simon Harris cautioned: “Today is a day of hope, but it is not one of elation.”
Mr Varadkar told the briefing: “Based on the medical evidence and recommendations of NPHET and Government reports on the economic and social impact of Covid-19, Cabinet today agreed to implement all elements of phase two and move further along the roadmap, a kind of phase two-plus.
“Some measures such as bans on mass gatherings may need to remain in place well into August as will public health advice around hygiene and physical distancing.”
Labour leader Alan Kelly welcomed the speedier roadmap announced by Mr Varadkar.
He said: “The last 12 weeks have been a trying time for the Irish people.
“Having to stay home, put aspects of our lives on hold and not see those nearest and dearest has not been easy but has proved the true resilience of the Irish people.
“I have been saying for weeks the people have been ahead of the Government when it comes to the roadmap so it is welcome that the Government have reduced the roadmap from five phases to four.”