Ireland: Non-essential stores to close as restrictions tighten

The Irish government has announced it will expand its Level 5 Covid restrictions to the entire country as confirmed cases continue to increase at a concerning rate.

From midnight on 30 December, all regions of the country will enter into Level 5 restrictions until midnight on 31 January 2021.

Non-essential retail and gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools will have one more full day to operate and will close from close of business on 31 December. Click and collect services will remain available.

It comes as a new, more transmissible strain of coronavirus continues to spread rapidly throughout the country.

Confirmed cases increased 61 percent in the past seven days from the previous week to 8,000.

Prime minister Micheal Martin said: “With the presence of the new strain and the pace of growth, this is not a time for nuance in our response. We must apply the brakes to movement and physical interaction across the country.”

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