Elaine Loughlin
The Government must "tweak" level 3 Covid restrictions to allow pubs and restaurants to serve customers indoors from next month, the Dáil has heard.
Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O'Sullivan has said it would "not be practical in the middle of winter" to only allow businesses serve food outside when level 5 restrictions are eased.
It comes as chief medical officer Tony Holohan said adherence to level 5 measures over the last two weeks have succeeded in further reducing community transmission and disease incidence here.
Complacency
However, he said the full six weeks of restrictions would be required to drive down the spread of the virus, and cautioned that now is not the time to become complacent.
A further three Covid-related deaths were notified last night. A total of 591 cases of Covid were also confirmed including 120 in Dublin, 75 in Donegal, 50 in Cork, 46 in Kerry, and 44 in Limerick.
Speaking the Dáil, Mr O'Sullivan said it is important that we now prepare for the end of level 5 restrictions at the start of December.
Under level 3, restaurants and cafes can open for takeaway, and outdoor dining to an absolute maximum of 15 people.
But the Cork South West TD said: "We cannot permit a situation where restaurants and pubs that serve food will have to rely solely on outdoor dining.
It would not be practical in the middle of winter. It would not be an option.
He said Cabinet should now consider how to "tweak" the level 3 restrictions to allow some element of indoor dining, perhaps with a few extra measures in place.
Incidence
Ireland and Finland are now the only countries in the EU where reductions in 14-day incidence have been observed. All other countries are seeing the rate increase.
Dr Holohan also singled out younger people who he said had made a massive effort in recent times to reduce their social contacts and stop the spread of the virus.
The 19 to 24-year-old age group has achieved a dramatic reduction in incidence, from 450 per 100,000 to 150 per 100,000 in two weeks.
"They have also halved their contacts in the past five weeks. We all need to recognise the efforts of our young people, and I thank them.”
Philip Nolan, chair of the Nphet Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the reproduction number is now below one.
“We estimate the reproduction number at between 0.7 and 0.9," he said.
The recommendations given to the Government from NPHET around the lifting of restrictions over the Christmas period will depend on the progress made between now and the end of the month, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said | Read more: https://t.co/8FM0L0xDbJ pic.twitter.com/LXsG67vzJb
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 5, 2020
Meanwhile, an extra €42m in State funding for private and voluntary nursing homes to help them respond to the Covid-19 pandemic has been announced.
The funds will extend the temporary assistance payments scheme to the end of June 2021, bringing the total amount provided since March up to €134.5m.
Nursing Homes Ireland CEO Tadhg Daly said the group welcomed the extension of the funding and the fact that isolation rooms, which are a recommended public health measure to support nursing homes in managing Covid-19, now have recognition under the scheme.
Minister of State Mary Butler said: “The continued need for the temporary assistance payments scheme and other non-financial supports is clear as the pandemic very much remains a feature of all of our lives.
"However, as well as providing immediate support to private and voluntary nursing homes, it is important to keep the longer-term picture in mind, to ensure that the actions taken now will be aimed at generating lasting improvements in how residents are cared for.”
