Major upshift in Covid-19 restrictions
The Taoiseach, Leo Varadker TD, announced the new moves this evening on television.
They include a complete ban on gatherings of any number of people apart from those within a family home.
A 2-kilometre travel limit from a person's home has been imposed for physical activity and exercise, but travelling beyond that to buy food and essentials is permitted (note this is a clarification on the earlier report).
People are required to remain in their homes except to shop for food or collect a meal, for medical appointments, for vital family reasons, or to help the elderly and vulnerable.
Everybody over 70 and those younger but with a medical condition that makes them vulnerable are to remain in their home at all times.
The list of essential businesses and services has been revised.
Travel on public transport is restricted to those doing essential work.
The new restrictions come into force at midnight and are initially for two weeks.
The Taoiseach said he was asking the Irish people, for whom freedom had been hard won, to 'give meaning to their freedom and liberty to accept these restrictions'.
He paid public tribute to the staffs of hospitals and other front line services for their service to date, and also to the people of Ireland for following through on the earlier restrictions.
Giving the background to the new restrictions, Mr Varadker noted that the admissions to ICUs in the country for complications of Covid-19 had doubled since Monday.
Health minister Simon Harris TD said it is a 'shock to see the number of deaths grow'. "We have to take these difficult decisions now," he emphasised, adding that 'the time will come when things come back to normal'.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said tonight there have been 'encouraging signs' that the public is working with the effort of the state to stem the infection. "The total number of confirmed cases is slowing down," he said, suggesting that the earlier restrictions have had an impact.
But he expressed concern at the rate and number of increased admissions to ICUs. "Now is the time to strengthen the effort." He said the new moves could 'significantly reduce' the rate of community infection, and 'drive the infection back out of the community and into households'.
EDITOR NOTE: If you're out shopping or walking, do PLEASE observe physical distancing. If we're sensible, it will help a lot.
