Ireland faces six more weeks of lockdown as government leaders are set to discuss the next steps in our battle against coronavirus, it has been reported.
NPHET is meeting on Monday to make recommendations to politicians, with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and others set to meet to discuss them later today.
An official announcement will be made on Tuesday, as a number of minor changes are currently on the table.
However, Ireland will remain under a strict lockdown, with no significant loosening expected until later in May as leaders are most likely to ask us to "hold firm" for another six weeks, the Irish Independent reports.
Some key changes are expected, with government leaders to discuss the new measures over the coming days.
As well as the 5km travel limit being expanded and increasing the numbers that can meet together outdoors, construction, kids’ training and adult non-contact sports are the other three changes being looked at.
Unfortunately haircuts and pints will have to wait as personal services and hospitality are firmly “off the table” for tomorrow’s Cabinet discussion on easing restrictions, a Government source said.
The Taoiseach is expected to outline a path back for them without any dates in his State of the Nation address.
But getting people back outdoors “needs to happen” according to one senior Cabinet source and this is what the Government will want to prioritise.
However, with the Covid figures still remaining stubbornly high, ministers are waiting with bated breath to see what NPHET will recommend after their crunch meeting to review restrictions today.
There were more than 600 new cases reported last night and the numbers in ICU have gone up again, by two to 66.
The top medics of NPHET will prepare a letter outlining their recommendations which will be presented to the special Cabinet sub-committee on Covid this evening. This committee of ministerial heavy hitters is led by Mr Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Greens leader Eamon Ryan.
That meeting will then bring its conclusions to Cabinet tomorrow morning where the rest of the ministers will sign off on changes to the lockdown exit plan.
But Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, said yesterday the scope for easing restrictions is “very narrow”.
The travel limit lift will get the go-ahead no matter what NPHET says, partly because so many people are ignoring it anyway.
Speaking frankly, one Minister told the Irish Mirror: “The 5km limit will be lifted because, let’s be honest, it’s easy to do because nobody was minding it anyway.”
When pressed he added that an extension to 10km would be “easily” passed at Cabinet.
The same rationale applies to increasing the outdoor gatherings rule that currently allows for you to meet with people from just one other household. It will be at least doubled.
All pupils will go back to school after the Easter holidays on April 12.
Things become trickier when it comes to construction, getting children back at outdoor sports training and opening golf courses and tennis courts for adults.
These are still all undecided as of this morning. Politically, the Government wants to get construction back up and running as house completion targets go out the window for the year if builders aren’t back on the job.
