Pubs, bars, hotel bars, casinos and nightclubs will remain closed until at least 31 August after a cabinet decision yesterday (4 August).
Ministers also decided that face coverings will become mandatory in shops and shopping centres across the country from 10 August.
Unchanged
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the government had agreed that the current public health measures should remain in place, as evidence of increased transmission of COVID-19 had become “even clearer” since the last update.
As a result, the current restrictions on numbers attending indoor and outdoor gatherings – currently at 50 and 200 respectively - will remain unchanged.
“As we have seen with face coverings on public transport and the many other requests that have been made of citizens over the course of the pandemic, when people are given a clear direction, they follow it,” the Taoiseach said.
Direct provision
In another government decision, people in direct provision are to be treated in the same way as any other citizen in terms of social protection supports when it comes to COVID-19. The Taoiseach said this following reports that people in direct provision were reluctant to come forward for tests because of the fear of losing income.
Ministers also decided to remove five destinations from the ‘green list’ of countries and territories to which people travelling are being urged to take only normal precautions.
The five are Cyprus, Malta, Gibraltar, Monaco and San Marino. Anyone travelling to Ireland from those countries will now have to limit their movements for 14 days upon their arrival. There were no additions to the list.
Crisis
Publicans’ representatives accused the government of abandoning 3,500 smaller pubs across the country.
The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said the sector was facing a “full-blown crisis”, and called for the immediate introduction of a “meaningful support package” for the pubs, saying those who are closed will not benefit from the stimulus package announced in July.