The Tánaiste has said a decision on increasing coronavirus limitations in the border counties will be made some time today.
Politicians in Northern Ireland are because of make a decision on increased limitations in the coming hours amidst spiralling COVID-19 numbers in the 6 counties.
Schools are expected to be closed for 2 weeks with clubs and dining establishments to be limited to takeaway and shipment for a month. Additional constraints on travel are likewise likely.
It comes as 3 of the counties along the border– Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan– are reporting the highest coronavirus rates in the Republic.
” We’ll need to make a decision, most likely a long time today, regarding whether we require to respond with increased procedures in the border counties too” – @LeoVaradkar @PatKennyNT #Budget2021 pic.twitter.com/Q6XAmsOIOr
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) October 14, 2020
On The Pat Kenny Program this morning, the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar stated a decision on the border counties will be made later today.
” I have not heard yet what the announcement is from Stormont,” he stated.
” As soon as we discover for sure what the Northern Ireland Executive has chosen, Government will then respond to that and we will see whether we need to take similar procedures or what actions we need to take in relation to the border counties.
” We do out best to align and cooperate with Northern Ireland as best we can but, as you know, the Northern Ireland Executive has not favoured an All-Island method or a 32- county method however we do our finest to collaborate and work together as much as we potentially can.
” As your listeners will understand, the incidence of the infection in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan in specific is extremely, really high.
” We will need to make a decision most likely at some point today regarding whether we need to respond with increased steps in the border counties as well.”
Schools
He stated the proposed extra week of school vacations in the North will not influence policy in the south.
” I believe it is reasonable to say that the Government would be very loathe to close schools once again,” he said.
” We know a lot more about this infection than we did in the spring and we understand that schools are fairly safe environments, particularly main schools.
” The quantity of transmission that happens there is really low and, you understand, a great deal of nations didn’t close their schools at all throughout the very first wave and they do not appear to regret it.
” With the exception of Israel there didn’t appear to be major transmission or significant concerns around schools so, even if the North decides to do that doesn’t necessarily mean that we will.”
” The Government would be really loathe to close schools once again … even if the North chooses to do that does not always indicate we will” – Tanáiste @LeoVaradkar on @PatKennyNT pic.twitter.com/ypFQOTFRWk
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) October 14, 2020
Minister Varadkar said there are presently no strategies to alter rules that imply bigger venues are not allowed to serve more customers than smaller sized places.
” I know in Australia they have a 4 square-metre guideline– so, clearly, in a larger place, you can have more individuals and in a smaller place, it is less.
” That is not a technique that is favoured by NPHET at the minute but that’s not to say it is not something that could not be thought about into the future.
” Having actually a set number like 6 of 15 is easier to enforce of course than a various number that is based upon area.”
” To be frank with you Pat, with the trajectory of the infection at the moment, things are going the other method and we’re most likely to see a tightening up of constraints in the weeks ahead than a loosening of restrictions” – Tanáiste @LeoVaradkar on @PatKennyNT pic.twitter.com/Pe2z53 R0pV
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) October 14, 2020
He warned that, the method things are going, national restrictions are likely to tightened in the coming weeks.
” To be frank with you, with the trajectory if the virus at the moment, things are type of going the other way and we are most likely to see a tightening of constraints in the weeks ahead than a loosening of limitations,” he stated.
” However I think we require to keep our minds open absolutely to those sort of concepts and those services.”
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