The government recently agreed the approach to be applied nationwide for easing restrictions on the Level 3 Plan for Living with Covid-19, with special measures for the Christmas period.
People are advised to plan their activities in advance, to limit their contacts throughout this period, to keep celebrations small, that outdoors is safer than indoors and to ensure good ventilation if indoors with other people.
A summary of the measures are outlined below:-
From 1 December, under Level 3, as set out in the Plan for Living with COVID-19:
- weddings with up to 25 guests
- funerals with up to 25 mourners
- no organised indoor events, other than as provided below
- gatherings of up to 15 people may take place outdoors
- non-contact training may take place outdoors in pods of up to 15
- only individual training should take place indoors and no exercise or dance classes are permitted
- no matches/events except professional and elite sports, and approved games and events, all behind closed doors
- gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools may reopen for individual training only
- nightclubs, discos and casinos should remain closed
- hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs may open with services limited to residents only
- non-essential retail and personal services may reopen
- people should continue to work from home unless absolutely necessary to attend in person
- public transport capacity is limited to 50%
From 1 December:
- households should not mix with any other households outside those within their bubble
- people should stay within their county apart from work, education and other essential purposes
From 4 December:
- restaurants and pubs operating as restaurants (serving a substantial meal) may reopen for indoor dining with additional restrictions
- higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online
Adjustments for the Christmas Period
From 1 December:
- places of worship to reopen for services with restrictive measures
- museums, galleries, and libraries to reopen
- cinemas to reopen
- wet pubs to remain closed except for takeaway/delivery
From 18 December to 6 January:
- households can mix with up to two other households
- travel outside your county to be permitted
From 7 January, the measures put in place prior to 18 December will apply, subject to ongoing review.
For full details and updates on the Level 3 of the Plan for Living with COVID, check out gov.ie here
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Please remember to follow these basic steps below in addition to the rules above to make sure we do not catch or spread the virus such as the following:-
- Staying at home if at all possible
- social distancing (keeping at least 2 metres away from other people)
- wear a mask if social distancing is not possible
- washing your hands properly and often
- covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze
- not touching your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
You can keep up to date with news from the Government and the HSE at www.gov.ie and www.hse.ie
If you, or a member of your family are experiencing symptoms potentially linked to Coronavirus, please call the HSE on 1850 241 850, follow the advice on www.hse.ie and contact your family Doctor.
We all have a personal responsibility to follow the guidelines that are in place. In particular, I would encourage everyone yet again to wear face coverings to protect yourself and to protect others. Hopefully, if we can abide by the rules we will have a lovely Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.
Cheers
Oliver Dempsey
Tradesmen.ie
5th December 2020
