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HomeFarming NewsCovid-19: When could marts and pubs re-open?
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Covid-19: When could marts and pubs re-open?

The government has, this evening (Friday, May 1st), published a roadmap for reopening society and business.

It contains a sequence of actions, a total of five phases. The roadmap stresses that a review of the progress of the disease within and between each stage is required.

“These are just predictions at this stage and will depend on the medical advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team at the time in question.”

Based on a 3-week review process, the current phases would commence on the following dates, the document outlines:

  • Phase 1 – May 18th;
  • Phase 2 – June 8th;
  • Phase 3 – June 29th;
  • Phase 4 – July 20th;
  • Phase 5 – August 10th.

Phase 1:

  • Allow outdoor meetings between a maximum of 4 people from different households while maintaining social distancing;
  • Open up childcare for healthcare workers;
  • Phased return of outdoor workers (for example: construction workers and gardeners)
  • Open retailers which are primarily outdoor or those which were open during first level of restriction (for example: opticians);
  • Opening of certain outdoor public amenities (for example; carparks, beaches, mountain walks where people can move around without coming into contact with each other and practice social distancing);
  • Open outdoor public sports amenities (for example: pitches, tennis courts, golf courses) where social distancing can be maintained.

Phase 2:

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  • Allow visits to households (visits to those who are cocooning can occur if all parties wear facemasks, gloves and maintain a distance of at least 2 metres away from each other);
  • Develop plans and supports to open up businesses with consideration for the safety of staff and customers;
  • Open small retail outlets and marts where social distancing can be observed;
  • Open public libraries.

Phase 3

  • Allow small social gatherings;
  • Opening of crèches, childminders and pre-schools for children of essential workers in a phased manner;
  • Return to work for those with low levels of interaction;
  • Open non-essential retail outlets with street-level entrance and exit;
  • Open playgrounds;
  • Allow ‘behind closed doors’ sporting activities events where arrangements are implemented to enable participants to maintain social distancing.

Phase 4

  • Opening of crèches, childminders and pre-schools for children of all other workers on a gradually increasing basis;
  • Return to work for those who cannot work from home;
  • Gradual easing of restrictions for higher risk services (for example: hairdressers);
  • Opening of museums, galleries, places of worship;
  • Allow sports team leagues (for example: soccer and GAA) but only where limitations are placed on the numbers of spectators and where social distancing can be maintained.

Phase 5

  • Allow larger social gatherings;
  • Return to work across all sectors
  • On a phased basis, commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2020/2021, opening of primary and secondary schools and third-level institutions;
  • Further easing of restrictions on high-risk retail services.
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