Plan to cut opening hours of off-licences
Sales of alcohol could be drastically curbed as Government attempts to clamp down on social gatherings
OFF-LICENCE opening hours would be significantly reduced under Government plans aimed at clamping down on house parties and large social gatherings.
The move was discussed at the specially convened Cabinet meeting on the Covid-19 pandemic, where ministers agreed to impose Level 3 restrictions on the entire country.
The proposal to curb opening hours is intended to further limit social gatherings with alcohol, which have been linked to the spread of Covid-19.
A large gathering of students drinking in Galway city centre gained national headlines last week, with calls for off-licences to be closed to curb house parties and drinking by young people.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris yesterday suggested gardaí may arrive to an area where there is a house party.
“There is a constitutional protection of the home,” he said, before adding: “Having gardaí positioned outside your home during a house party will really dampen the mood.”
Gardaí will today man 132 checkpoints on main arterial routes across the country to ensure people are complying with Level 3 lockdown guidelines to remain in their counties.
Meanwhile, under-fire chief medical officer Tony Holohan held ‘peace talks’ with the country’s most senior civil servant following the fallout from his proposal to impose a second nationwide lockdown.
Mr Holohan met Department of the Taoiseach secretary general Martin Fraser in Government Buildings yesterday after the controversy surrounding the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) recommendation of Level 5 restrictions.
Mr Fraser was understood to be furious about how Dr Holohan’s recommendation for a second lockdown emerged.
Also yesterday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told a Fine Gael parliamentary meeting that a full ‘circuit break’ lockdown could not be ruled out if virus cases continued to rise.
IT wasn’t supposed to happen like this – local lockdowns were to be the way of the future. But the nation woke up to another countrywide round of anti-Covid 19 restrictions as Level 3 measures kicked in.
Will it be enough, or would the nuclear deterrent of Level 5 have been a better and faster option?
A growing number of counties will have a longer race to run to reduce their Covid-19 rate.
Donegal and Dublin are already in Level 3 lockdowns and previously were the worst hit. However, Monaghan now has the second-worst 14-day incidence rate in the country.
The picture is shifting, but the rate of Covid is on the rise.
The test will be how counties in the danger zone can extricate themselves from this risk in the next three weeks .
Progress report
Based on the 14-day incidence in Dublin and Donegal, which have already been at Level 3, the figures are disappointing.
On Sunday, the rate in Dublin was 167.1 per 100,000 – up from 162.6 the previous day.
There are signs of some slowdown, but it is still too high.
Donegal is still in the trenches at a rate of 273.3 per 100,000, a rise compared with 265.1 per 100,000 on Saturday.
The message so far from both these counties is that Level 3 is a very slow burner in terms of tackling the spread of the virus. The risk is that three weeks at this level of restriction may not be enough for all counties.
Counties on watchlist
The 14-day incidence rate in several other counties has breached the 100 per 100,000 mark. It will make for a tougher hill to climb.
Monaghan has deteriorated and now has a rate 206.9 per 100,000. Other counties that are increasingly in trouble are Longford, Roscommon, Clare, Cavan, Cork and Offaly.
Reversal of fortunes
Some counties that had a fall in the incidence rate are on the rise again – including Mayo, Leitrim, Wexford, Laois, Limerick, Carlow and Louth. Meanwhile, Waterford has managed to reduce its incidence.
The patterns can change over a couple of days, but the national picture is one of rising levels of the virus.
At an individual county level, however, it is possible to turn a worrying trend around.
There could be more behind falling figures, such as an outbreak being brought under control, but much of it comes back to individuals and businesses making a conscious effort to follow the rules.
National mindset
With three weeks of Level 3 restrictions looming – unless tougher measures need to be imposed – there are mixed indicators as to how ready people are for what lies ahead. Much will depend on how well people step up their adherence to the basics.
The Department of Health’s weekly survey has found that just 57pc say they are following recommendations to prevent the spread of the virus.
The compliance figure has fallen to 42pc among the under-35s since August and is climbing among older age groups. It is highest among the over-55s.
Yet in Dublin, overall compliance is at just 53pc.
Physical distancing
Fewer people believe physical distancing rules are being followed, falling to 40pc compared with 46pc in early August.
Emotional well-being
When asked if they experienced enjoyment a lot yesterday, just 43pc said they had – a big drop from 51pc in August. There was also a fall in people saying they felt happiness.
More people are worried about the virus and 52pc feel the worst of the crisis is ahead of us. Some 63pc think there should be more restrictions, but nearly a quarter are against this.
Testing and tracing
Much will depend on how well people step up their adherence to the basics
The power to turn around the slide is in the hands of individuals and businesses. But the onus is also on the HSE to ensure its test-and-trace system is operating at an efficient standard. Otherwise, infection will needlessly spread.