Government has defied the orders of NPHET and all non-essential shops will reopen on St Stephen’s Day
The country’s group of top medical advisers wrote to the Government and asked them to shut all retail as Covid numbers remain dangerously high.
But Taoiseach Micheál Martin has announced tonight on Christmas Eve that they will not be taking this advice and there will be retail therapy for the nation from Saturday.
If the Government had followed the NPHET recommendation, retail sources said it would have cost thousands of jobs.
Mr Martin said: “The Government has made its decision in relation to that.
“We made a decision at Cabinet on Tuesday and the next Government meeting is on the 29th.
“But we brought in on Tuesday very, very severe measures to move to Level 5 across the country and these measures have yet to take effect.
“And ultimately I would say that we are of course concerned about the rising numbers, but the general principles of public health apply and applies to our own individual behaviour and our collective behaviour and that’s the way actually, irrespective of what setting what we find ourselves in, that is the way that we defeat this virus and prevent its spread.
“So that means that it’s so important that we adhere to the guidelines, continue to wear masks in crowded and in public places and that we maintain social distancing, reduce our contacts.
“Those are the key measures.”
