(London) The Irish government on Friday announced new restrictions, including closing nightclubs and social distancing in some places, to try to limit COVID-19 contamination and prevent the spread of the new Omicron variant.
“Going forward into the Christmas period without restrictions to reduce the volume of personal contact is simply too high a risk,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin said, addressing the Irish.
Last dance on December 6
Following the recommendations of the health authorities, from Tuesday December 7 to January 9, nightclubs will have to close and social distancing will be restored in pubs, restaurants and hotels, with room service only and six people maximum per table.
The reception capacity is reduced by half in cultural places and for sporting events, where wearing a mask is compulsory.
In addition, it is advisable to limit home meetings to a maximum of four households.
In mid-November, Dublin had already announced measures to stem the resurgence of the coronavirus in Ireland and preserve the health system, just weeks after the lifting of almost all the restrictions that were in place.
Health passport everywhere
The executive therefore recommended working from home when possible and brought forward the closing of bars and restaurants to midnight. The health passport, already applied in pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, had been extended to places of leisure.
But if the vaccination campaign is a success and the rise in contamination has been “stabilized”, the appearance of the Omicron variant, of which a case has been detected in Ireland, is “a source of concern”, Micheal said. Martin.
“We will do everything we can reasonably do to prevent this new variant from circulating in the country,” he insisted. “If Omicron becomes established and if it is more transmissible, the possibility of having a very serious crisis is obvious.”
A country of 5 million people where nearly 90% of those over 12 are fully vaccinated, Ireland recorded 5,419 positive cases on Friday, according to the latest official figures. The epidemic has killed more than 5,700 people there.