Leaving Cert students to attend school three days a week as new tighter Level 5 restrictions announced
- Childcare Closed with exceptions for vulnerable children and children of essential workers
- Construction will close from 6pm on Friday 8 Jan, with limited exceptions
- Essential retail only. Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets will no longer be permitted after existing orders are fulfilled. Click and deliver will continue
The Governement has formally announced a range of tighter public health measures after they were agreed by the Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 yesterday.
Schools will close and move to online learning, but Leaving Cert students will be allowed to attend three days a week.
Higher and further education will move online, except where a project is essential or time sensitive, such as laboratory activity or apprenticeships that require practical work.
Non essential construction projects will stop at 6 o'clock on Friday evening.
Essential constructions projects - such as health projects specific to Covid-19, housing adaption grants, and critical maintenance for rail, roads and utility projects - will be exempt.
The following is a guide to the new Covid restrictions introduced by the government today in response to the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the community:
"This is a very difficult decision," Mr Martin said.
The Taoiseach noted the "heroic work" the school and childcare community have done in the last year, and said while all scientific evidence points to schools still being safe, "the spread of the virus has got to the point where we must simply stop as much mobility in the country as we possibly can for at least three weeks."
Listen to more of what Taoiseach Micheal Martin said here:
Your guide to the new changes
SchoolsClosed until 1 Feb with some specific exceptions for final year Leaving Cert students, special education and specialised settings
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)The resumption of the ECCE programme is delayed until 1 Feb
Childcare Closed with exceptions for vulnerable children and children of essential workers
Construction Construction will close from 6pm on Friday 8 Jan, with limited exceptions
Retail Essential retail only. Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets will no longer be permitted after existing orders are fulfilled. Click and deliver will continue
Travel into Ireland No travellers from Great Britain or South Africa until 9 Jan. All travellers from those locations after that date must have a negative PCR COVID-19 test result (COVID-19 not detected) within 72 hours prior to arrival
At Level 5, the public health risk means that you will be asked to stay at home, except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, or to take exercise within 5km of home. There will be no gatherings other than small numbers at funerals and weddings.
Schools and higher and adult education
Schools
Schools remain closed until 1 February, except for the provision of special education (special schools and special classes) and specialised settings (such as Oberstown and high support special care schools and youth encounter projects) which will continue fully open from 11 January.
All final year Leaving Certificate students, including Leaving Cert Applied, Leaving Cert Vocational Programme and the traditional Leaving Cert, can attend school for 3 days a week commencing from the week beginning 11 January.
Youthreach services will resume as scheduled.
The resumption of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is delayed until 1 February.
Higher and adult education
Higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online.
Childcare
Childcare services, including regulated childminders, will remain closed with the exception of services for vulnerable children and children of essential workers.
Other existing childcare arrangements can continue to operate for vulnerable children and children of essential workers only.
In addition, a household of an essential worker, without an existing childcare arrangement, can form a bubble with another household for the purpose of providing childcare.
Construction
Construction will close from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with limited exceptions including:
essential health and related projects including those relevant to preventing, limiting, minimising or slowing the spread of COVID-19
social housing projects, including voids, designated as essential sites by Local Authorities based on set criteria
housing adaptation grants where the homeowner is agreeable to adaptions being undertaken in their home
repair, maintenance and construction of critical transport and utility infrastructure
education facilities sites designated as essential by Department of Education
supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis
certain large construction projects in the exporting / FDI sector based on set criteria
Retail and services (for example: hairdressers, beauticians, barbers)
Face coverings must be worn.
All retail, other than essential retail, is closed.
All non-essential services remain closed.
Click and collect
Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets should no longer be permitted with immediate effect.
Existing orders may be collected.
Click and deliver will continue to be permitted.
Social and family gatherings
In your home or garden
No visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.
Other settings outside your home or garden
No social or family gatherings should take place in other settings.
Weddings
Up to 6 guests are permitted.
Organised indoor gatherings
These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager.
For example: business, training events, conferences, events in theatres and cinemas or other arts events (excluding sport).
No organised indoor gatherings should take place.
Organised outdoor gatherings
These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor arts events, training events.
No organised outdoor gatherings should take place.
Exercise and sporting events
Training
People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise.
No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
Outdoor golf and tennis are not permitted.
Individual training only. No exercise or dance classes. No indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for professional and elite sports.
Matches and events
Professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events only are permitted to continue behind closed doors.
No other matches or events are to take place.
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools must close from close of business on 31 December.
Religious services
Services will be held online.
Places of worship remain open for private prayer.
Funerals
Up to 10 mourners can attend.
Museums, galleries and other cultural attractions
All venues closed.
Online services available.
Bars, cafes and restaurants (including hotel restaurants and bars)
Take away food and delivery only.
Wet pubs
Closed.
Nightclubs, discos, casinos
Nightclubs, discos and casinos will remain closed.
Hotels and accommodation
Open only for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
Work
Work from home unless essential for work, which is an essential health, social care or other essential service and cannot be done from home.
Travel restrictions
Domestic
People will be required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5 km of home.
You can travel outside 5 kilometres of home for the following reasons:
travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service
to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
travel to attend disability day services
travel to attend a court
for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
for food shopping
for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
to attend a wedding or funeral
to visit a grave
International
The current travel moratorium in place for travel from Great Britain and South Africa is extended until midnight Friday 8 January 2021.
From 9 January 2021, all passengers arriving at Irish airports and ports whose journey originates in Great Britain or South Africa will be requested to have evidence of a negative result from a PCR COVID-19 test (COVID-19 not detected) taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.
Essential supply chain workers will be exempt from the requirement to have evidence of a negative PCR COVID-19 test result. An exemption from the requirement to have evidence of a negative test result can also be considered in exceptional and urgent humanitarian cases, particularly related to an emergency medical need for the person or his/her child.
There will also be an exemption for the Garda Síochána in the exercise of their functions and officials carrying out public service duties.
Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks
Open with protective measures in place.
Transport
Face coverings must be worn.
Walk or cycle where possible.
Avoid public transport - essential workers and essential purposes only.
Public transport capacity will be restricted to 25%.
Over 70 and medically vulnerable individuals
Those aged over 70 years and over and the medically vulnerable should exercise judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside home. Specific guidance will be provided.
Visiting long-term residential care facilities (nursing and care homes)
Suspended, aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.