Taoiseach announces plan for easing restrictions with 5km travel to be scrapped, construction restart and sports return
From April 12, the current 5km travel restriction will be scrapped with people allowed to travel freely within their own county.
The construction industry will also get back to business from April 12 starting with the work on houses and apartments before wider reopening at the end of the month.
People from two different households will also be allowed to meet up outside under plans being finalised by the Cabinet.
Two people who are fully vaccinated will also be allowed to meet up inside from April 12 as part of a “vaccine bonus.”
Senior intercounty GAA will return to training from April 19 with all children’s sports due to recommence from April 26.
Golf courses and tennis courts will also be allowed to reopen on April 26 as they are seen as socially distanced sports that are low risk.
Zoos and other outdoor heritage sites across the country can reopen on April 26 as well.
The number of people who will be allowed to attend funerals will also increase from 10 to 25 from April 26.
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NEW PLAN Taoiseach announces plan for easing restrictions with 5km travel to be scrapped, construction restart and sports return
Fionnuala Walsh
18:12, 30 Mar 2021Updated: 18:19, 30 Mar 2021
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin has announced the government’s plan for the phased easing of restrictions that will see the 5km travel rule scrapped, construction restart and some sports get back underway.
The current Covid-19 restrictions will be extended out to April 12 in a bid to try to stop case numbers climbing before all students are due to return after the Easter break.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin spoke outside Leinster House today
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Taoiseach Micheal Martin spoke outside Leinster House today
From April 12, the current 5km travel restriction will be scrapped with people allowed to travel freely within their own county.
The construction industry will also get back to business from April 12 starting with the work on houses and apartments before wider reopening at the end of the month.
People from two different households will also be allowed to meet up outside under plans being finalised by the Cabinet.
Two people who are fully vaccinated will also be allowed to meet up inside from April 12 as part of a “vaccine bonus.”
Senior intercounty GAA will return to training from April 19 with all children’s sports due to recommence from April 26.
Golf courses and tennis courts will also be allowed to reopen on April 26 as they are seen as socially distanced sports that are low risk.
Zoos and other outdoor heritage sites across the country can reopen on April 26 as well.
The number of people who will be allowed to attend funerals will also increase from 10 to 25 from April 26.
KEY DATES
APRIL 12
5km travel limit extended county-wide
Two vaccinated people can meet indoors
Construction get partial return from mid-April
APRIL 19
GAA senior county training resumes
APRIL 26
Funeral attendance to rise to 25
Golf and tennis resume
Zoos and places of heritage to open
Outdoor training for under-18s to resume
MAY
Click and collect retail services to resume
Museums and galleries to start reopening
Hairdressers and salons to resume.
Major changes are set to be made to Ireland’s vaccine rollout with some priority groupings set to be scrapped in favour of an age based system.
The current priority groups will remain in place until after cohort nine is finished and then the entire vaccine programme will switch to an age based roll out.
The HSE is currently vaccinating people in cohorts two, three and four which includes healthcare workers, people over 70 and people aged between 16 and 69 who have high risk underlying health conditions.
People aged 65 and over, key vaccination programme workers and people aged 16 to 64 living in long term care facilities are next in the queue.
The vaccine plan will continue as normal for those cohorts as well as people in cohort nine which includes people under the age of 64 living in crowded accommodation where self isolation is difficult.
However, after these nine cohorts are finished the vaccine roll out will switch to an aged based system starting with people aged between 64 and 55 and working down.
This move will see some cohorts scrapped from the plan including key workers in essential jobs who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure to Covid-19 – which may include gardai and potentially frontline bus drivers.