Taoist Michael Martin has confirmed that the government will ease Level 5 restrictions from December 1, with a phased resumption of various sectors of the economy and society.

Retailers, gyms, churches, hairdressers, barbers, museums, galleries and movie theaters will be allowed to open on Tuesday, December 1st.

Restaurants and gastropubs with their own kitchens will be hosting indoor dining from Friday, December 4th.

The final phase of the Christmas Covid project will begin on December 18 and will allow people from three different homes to make inter-travel trips and indoor gatherings. This will last until January 6, when the government will review the epidemiological profile of the virus to guide the country’s path through early 2021.

Many of the mitigation measures are against the Enfet advice given to the government on Thursday.

In a letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnell, Enfet expressed concern that the virus’ profile could change rapidly and called for “step-by-step vigilance”.

Here are nine ways in which the government has decided to take a more lenient approach to public health measures over the ENFET doctrine over the Christmas period:

Home visits

Enfet advised the government to choose to increase home visits or open a hospitality sector.

It was suggested that a maximum of six people from another house be allowed to visit another house but the government decided to allow two employees and did not set a limit on the number of people.

Hospitality sector

The government has also decided to ignore Enfet’s advice to close pubs and restaurants in December, instead allowing restaurants and gastropubs to open from December 4 and maintaining strict social distance. So-called wet pubs are not allowed to open.

Inter-county travel

Enfet asked the government to limit domestic inter-county travel between December 21 and January 3, but the cabinet decided to allow people to travel anywhere in the country from December 18 to January 6.

Travel in and out of Northern Ireland

Enfet advised to ban all travel to and from Northern Ireland due to the increase in disease in the northern part of the border, but after allowing international travel on December 18, the ministers have given permission to travel to the six continents of Northern Ireland, but said they would assess the situation close to the date.

Retail dates reopen

The government deviated from Nephet’s advice by one day when it had to reopen unavoidable retail outlets, and decided to open these stores on December 1 instead of December 2.

Religious services

It was decided to allow religious services to continue from December 1. Enfet recommended that these be cut back until December 21st and stopped again on January 3rd.

Number of inter-county trips during the Christmas period

The government has not calculated the amount of travel that people can make during the Christmas season, as people traveling to different countries should only make one such trip during the holidays.

Hotel bars and restaurants

He said residents should be allowed to dine only at home in hotel bars and restaurants. Tony Holohan and team requested. But the government has not limited hotels to catering to residents only during the Christmas period.

International Travel

Enfet advises against all but essential international travel, and the team believes that only people traveling for funeral or health care reasons should do so. The government has advised Irish people living abroad not to book flights home yet and has expressed concern about the possibility of the disease being transmitted to Ireland during the Christmas period. But so far no official instructions have been received.

Online editors