As lockdown restrictions ease, all of us are impatiently waiting to restart the lives of freedom we once enjoyed.
This week, we were allowed to travel outside of our county, go to the hairdresser, attend religious services and start sports training again. Next week, all retail will be open.
More hope may be on the horizon.
From eating out in restaurants to finally being able to holiday abroad, here is what we can look forward to in June:
Hospitality
Next month the Irish hospitality sector will open up again so we can enjoy intercounty travel in style!
On June 2, hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation will reopen and guests will be free to use leisure facilities, indoor dining and bar services.
President of the Irish Hotels Federation, Elaina Fitzgerald Kaine said the reopening of Irish tourism is good news for people looking to staycation this year, as well as those employed in the tourism sector.
Allowing the hospitality to reopen “gives an impetus now for our sector to plan for reopening in earnest as part of the survival and recovery of Irish hotels and guesthouses as well as the broader tourism community,” she said.
“We look forward to continuing to engage with the Government towards a safe and sustainable reopening.”
On June 7, outdoor service will recommence in bars and restaurants with safety measures in place. We will be able to enjoy outdoor dining in groups of up to 6 people.
At the end of June, the government will begin reconsiderations for indoor dining at restaurants along with the reopening of bars, nightclubs and casinos.
International Travel
While we have no set date for when we can holiday abroad again, the Irish government is planning to become part of the European Commission’s green passport scheme to make travelling in the EU more accessible as soon as possible.
The date the EU is aiming for is June 21, according to Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.
With a new green passport scheme, Irish holidaymakers will be able to register if they have been vaccinated, tested negative or have recovered from Covid-19.
Holidaying abroad may be just around the corner.
Countries such as Italy, Portugal and the Canary Islands are reopening their tourism sector in May. Spain is reopening to tourism in June, with no mandatory quarantine.
By the end of June, the green passport scheme will hopefully be in place allowing us to travel to the 26 counties in mainland Europe and Iceland.
Sports
On June 7, outdoor sports matches can be played again without spectators.
Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres are also open to the public again on June 7.
Conn McCluskey, CEO Ireland Active has said that the easing of restrictions on sports and training in June will rely on “recovery, re-opening and rebuilding the industry and renewing its vital contribution to keeping Ireland physically active and healthy.”
The easing of restrictions on indoor team sports is due to happen in July.
Gathering
We will be finally free to meet our friends and families indoors again as visits to private homes of one other household are allowed from June 7.
Those of us who are fully vaccinated can meet with others who are vaccinated without masks and physical distancing.
At the moment, just 6 guests can attend an indoor wedding reception. On June 7, this will increase to 25.
Vaccinations
On May 12, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that anyone looking for a Covid-19 vaccination could be offered one by the end of June. Last night, he promised everyone would get a jab by “early July.”
He told the Dáil: “they might not have it by the end of June, but they will certainly have their appointment for it in early July.”
While we may not all get a chance to receive a vaccination next month, the State is hoping that 300,000 to 400,000 jabs could be given per week.
After June
As further restrictions are lifted from July onwards, the vaccine rollout and news on Covid-19 variants will play a huge part in how fast we can get back to normality.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told Ireland in April that “as disruptive, as lonely, as frustrating and as sad as the last year has been, we are getting through it and a degree of normality is returning ... hope is returning".
With the easing of restrictions next month signed off by the Cabinet and further considerations planned for July, things are certainly looking hopeful.
