The Government has decided today that, from midnight tomorrow (Thursday, 15th October), the counties of Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan will be placed on Level 4 under the Plan for Living with Covid-19. This action is based on a review of the current public health advice and is in response to the deteriorating situation with the virus in these counties.
The rest of the country remains at Level 3. Due to the deteriorating situation with the virus across the country, the Government has decided to increase the level of restriction nationwide as provided for under Level 3 in a number of areas:
• No visitors to home or garden, with the exception of visits for essential purposes (e.g. family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular those who live alone).
• In outdoor settings away from home/garden, up to 6 people from no more than 2 households can meet while maintaining strict social distancing – including for outdoor exercise and dining.
• The existing exemption which allows for Club Championship games to be played behind closed doors has been removed.
Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan will be at Level 4 until Tuesday 10th November, at which point the situation will be reviewed by the Government.
Placing Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan at Level 4 has the following implications for those living or working in these counties:
• No social or family gatherings other than weddings (with up to 6 guests) and funerals (with up to 25 mourners) should take place. No visitors are permitted into private homes and gardens, except for essential purposes. Visits to long-term residential care facilities are suspended except for critical and compassionate circumstances.
• People should stay in their county except for essential work, education and other essential purposes.
• Only essential workers should travel to work.
• Only essential retail and businesses that are primarily outdoors should open. All other retail and personal services should be closed. See below for details of essential retail and services. Details also available at https://www.gov.ie/essentialretail/ and https://www.gov.ie/essentialservices/.
• Construction activities will continue.
• Manufacturing will remain open where necessary to ensure that all national and international supply chains are intact for essential goods.
• Schools, regulated childcare and childminding will remain open with existing protective measures.
• Further, higher and adult education moves primarily online with appropriate protective measures in place for essential attendance on site.
• People should avoid public transport, which will be operating at 25% capacity. [School transport unaffected].
• Bars, cafes, and restaurants are open for take-away or delivery and outdoor seating for a max. 15 patrons. No indoor service is permitted.
• Wet pubs may open for take-away or delivery and outdoor service for a max of 15 patrons. No indoor service is permitted.
• Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are only open to existing guests and for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
• Gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools, museums, galleries and other cultural attractions are closed.
• Religious services are online only. Places of worship remain open for private prayer.
• Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks remain open
• While non-contact training in pods of 15 can take place outdoors, in indoor settings individual training only should take place with no classes.
• No matches or events should take place other than limited exceptions -see below.
• No indoor gatherings should take place with outdoor gatherings limited to 15 people.
Business Supports
Supports will be available for business under the new Covid Restrictions Subsidy Scheme (CRSS) announced in this week’s Budget.
Notes to Editors:
Weddings
Weddings planned for 16th, 17th, 18th October may go ahead as originally planned up to a limit of 25 guests. From Monday 19th October, weddings may proceed but with a limit of 6 guests for ceremony and reception (irrespective of venue). Guests cannot leave their county to attend a wedding.
Essential Retail
Retailers with mixed retail offering which have discrete spaces for essential and non-essential retail should make arrangements for the separation of relevant areas.
1. Outlets selling food or beverages on a takeaway basis, or newspapers, whether on a retail or wholesale basis and whether in a non-specialised or specialised outlet.
2. Markets that, wholly or principally, offer food for sale
3. Outlets selling products necessary for the essential upkeep and functioning of places of residence and businesses, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
4. Pharmacies, chemists and retailers or wholesalers providing pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical or dispensing services, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
5. Outlets selling health, medical or orthopaedic goods in a specialised outlet, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
6. Fuel service stations and heating fuel providers.
7. Outlets selling essential items for the health and welfare of animals (including animal feed and veterinary medicinal products, pet food, animal bedding and animal supplies), whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
8. Laundries and drycleaners.
9. Banks, post offices and credit unions.
10. Outlets selling safety supplies (including work-wear apparel, footwear and personal protective equipment), whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
11. Hardware outlets, builders’ merchants and outlets that provide, whether on a retail or wholesale basis -
(a) hardware products necessary for home and business maintenance or construction and development,
(b) sanitation and farm equipment, or
(c) supplies and tools essential for gardening, farming or agriculture purposes.
12. Optician and optometrist outlets;
13. Outlets providing hearing test services or selling hearing aids and appliances;
14 Outlets providing for the sale, supply, repair and maintenance of mechanically propelled vehicles or for the repair of bicycles and any related facilities (including tyre sales and repairs);
15 Outlets selling office products and services for businesses or for applicable persons working from their respective places of residence, whether on a retail or wholesale basis;
16 Outlets providing electrical, information and communications technology and telephone sales, repair and maintenance services for places of residence and businesses.
Other retail may open for click and collect, where it can be appropriately managed within public health guidelines.
Essential Services
Retailers with mixed retail offering which have discrete spaces for essential and non-essential retail should make arrangements for the separation of relevant areas.
1. Outlets selling food or beverages on a takeaway basis, or newspapers, whether on a retail or wholesale basis and whether in a non-specialised or specialised outlet.
2. Markets that, wholly or principally, offer food for sale
3. Outlets selling products necessary for the essential upkeep and functioning of places of residence and businesses, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
4. Pharmacies, chemists and retailers or wholesalers providing pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical or dispensing services, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
5. Outlets selling health, medical or orthopaedic goods in a specialised outlet, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
6. Fuel service stations and heating fuel providers.
7. Outlets selling essential items for the health and welfare of animals (including animal feed and veterinary medicinal products, pet food, animal bedding and animal supplies), whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
8. Laundries and drycleaners.
9. Banks, post offices and credit unions.
10. Outlets selling safety supplies (including work-wear apparel, footwear and personal protective equipment), whether on a retail or wholesale basis.
11. Hardware outlets, builders’ merchants and outlets that provide, whether on a retail or wholesale basis -
(a) hardware products necessary for home and business maintenance or construction and development,
(b) sanitation and farm equipment, or
(c) supplies and tools essential for gardening, farming or agriculture purposes.
12. Optician and optometrist outlets;
13. Outlets providing hearing test services or selling hearing aids and appliances;
14 Outlets providing for the sale, supply, repair and maintenance of mechanically propelled vehicles or for the repair of bicycles and any related facilities (including tyre sales and repairs);
15 Outlets selling office products and services for businesses or for applicable persons working from their respective places of residence, whether on a retail or wholesale basis;
16 Outlets providing electrical, information and communications technology and telephone sales, repair and maintenance services for places of residence and businesses.
Other retail may open for click and collect, where it can be appropriately managed within public health guidelines.
Exceptions on matches/events
Professional and elite sport/inter-county/horse-racing can take place behind closed doors.