Cork’s own roadmap out of lockdown may see cars banned from more streets

and restaurants remain uncertain if and when they will be able to re-open.

Cultural hubs such as Cork Opera House, Triskel and Everyman Palace remain closed.

Luigi Malones general manager Morad Gharib said he fears there will be no speedy return to “normal life” until a vaccine is developed and is freely available.

“We are now open for takeaway orders five days a week,” he said.

“Before the Covid-19 pandemic we had around 60 full and part-time staff. Now we are down to eight full and part-time staff.”

THE Covid-19 pandemic is set to transform the face of Cork city centre. Ireland’s second city is slowly emerging from lockdown with a greater emphasis than ever on pedestrianisation and the continental-style boulevard culture it had for so long sought to achieve. Roads that were pedestrianised during the pandemic to allow for the combination of social distancing and exercise may now remain car-free while the city is urgently looking at a northern park-and-ride site to remove further vehicles from the city centre. The entire retail make-up of the centre also faces being altered with outlets both large and small set to fall victim to the Covid-19 fall-out. The closure of Debenhams – once the jewel-in-the-crown of St Patrick Street shopping (formerly Roches Stores) – has left a gaping wound in the city’s retail centre. Dozens of other outlets including boutiques, cafés Gone: Debenhams was once jewel in Cork shopping “I think it will be a very slow bounce-back from the lockdown. We are waiting to see what the Government is going to advise restaurants about social distancing for customers. “We are one of the lucky restaurants in that we have a lot of space here at the Luigi Malones premises on Emmet Place. But other restaurants aren’t so lucky.” Cork businessman Don Jeffery warned the sheer number of schemes now being proposed to help the private sector is confusing. “It’s baffling to consider the number of schemes being mooted as ways to help SMEs to re-boot their business and cope with the potential mountain of debt that each may face. “They may in fact persuade far too many to throw their hat at the notion of continuing in business at all.” Cork Business Association president Eoin O’Sullivan stressed local retailers will need every support over the coming weeks and months to recover from the pandemic hit.