Ireland is moving to Level Five restrictions from Christmas Eve with some exemptions.
Restaurants, pubs, hairdressers, beauticians, cinemas and galleries will all have to close from 3pm on Christmas Eve.
Non-essential retail is allowed to stay open but January sales events must be deferred.
Inter-county travel restrictions will come back into place after midnight on St Stephen’s Day.
There will be an exception for people returning home after that date.
Household visits will be reduced to one other household from the 27th of December – then reduced to one until the 31st.
However, household visits will be banned from January 1st.
Additional supports for businesses that will have to close will be provided.
Weddings will be allowed to go ahead with 25 people up to and including January 1st and will then reduce to 6.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says the daily growth rate in confirmed cases looks set to reach 10 per cent and we need to take urgent action.
The new measures will be reviewed on January 12th but some businesses are fearing that they will be closed for longer than that.
Among the sectors due to be hardest hit are hospitality and today one Ennis Restaurateur has described the announcement as disappointing, but expected.
However, Dermot Fetton of Henry’s Bistro and Wine Bar in the Market has little qualms with today’s decision, given the rising number of cases.
He’s also hopeful of a positive 2021 for local businesses.
Clare’s Green Senator is dismissing concerns about potential staff shortages impacting the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
An internal HSE report has raised concerns about the resources available for the national campaign, with the first vaccinations here set to take place before the end of the year.
Ireland is set to distribute 40,000 doses of the vaccine each week in January, and Senator Roisin Garvey is confident additional staff will be deployed for the rollout.
