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Level-five restrictions spelt out in 'reduce mobility' call

Government has cited the “absolute need to reduce the level of mobility and congregation” in order to reduce opportunities for virus transmission. 

A statement last night urged people to continue to stay at home except for absolutely essential reasons. 

The following measures have been put in place to support this:

Schools

Schools will remain closed until 1 February. Exceptions are in place, including a provision for all sixth year Leaving Certificate students to attend school for three days a week commencing the week of 11 January, and certain provisions for special education and specialised settings, such as Oberstown, and high support special care schools and youth encounter projects.

• Youthreach services will resume as scheduled,
• School transport will be available for all students attending school,
• Teachers, SNAs and other school staff will be allowed to travel to school as essential workers,
• School buildings will be open to allow for staff to facilitate distance learning,
• Guidance services and supports will continue to be available to students and can be made available in the manner deemed appropriate by the school 

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

The resumption of the ECCE programme is delayed until 1 February.

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 be closed with effect from 6pm on Friday, 8 January, with limited exceptions for essential cases.

• 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 adaptations 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.

Click and collect

Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets will no longer be permitted with immediate effect but existing orders may be collected. Click and deliver will continue to be permitted. 

International travel

The Government also agreed that the current travel moratorium in place for travel from Great Britain and South Africa is extended until midnight Friday, 8 January. 

From 9 January, all passengers arriving at Irish airports and ports whose journey originates in Great Britain or South Africa will need evidence of a negative result from a PCR COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival.

This new mandatory requirement will be in place until 31January, and will be kept under review in light of the evolving epidemiological situation.  

Supports

Government supports under both the Employment Wage Support Scheme (EWSS) and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will be maintained.

Under the EWSS, which provides a subsidy to qualifying employers to offset payroll costs, a payment of up to €350 per week will continue to be available. This enhanced payment level, which had been scheduled to fall from 1February, will remain in place until the 31 March. 

Self-employed 

Similarly, the PUP, available to those who have lost their jobs, including the self-employed, as a result of COVID-19, will continue to be made available at the current pay-related level of up to €350 a week until 31 March. 

This payment level had been scheduled to fall from 1February. 

A wide range of supports for businesses are also in place including:

• COVID Restrictions Support Scheme,
• Extensive tax warehousing arrangements,
• Reduced VAT rates, both at the standard rate and at the lower rate for the hospitality and tourism sectors,
• Commercial rates waiver,
• Range of reduced cost loans, grants and voucher schemes, such as the €2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, COVID-19 Business Loans from Microfinance Ireland, the Sustaining Enterprise Fund, and Trading Online Vouchers.