Stay at home order begins
A full list of essential workers will be published by the Government today as more restrictions came into effect at midnight today and will continue until 12 April.
The so-called ‘lockdown’ means everyone must stay at home unless it is to travel to and from work or for the purposes of work. However, this is only where work is an essential health, social care or other essential services and cannot be done from home.
People can go to shop for food and household goods or collect a meal as well as attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products.
The public can leave the house for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people.
As for exercising, you can go within two kilometres of your home, which may include children from your household, as long as the two metre physical distancing is adhered to.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made the announcement last night at Government buildings where he also confirmed that rents were to be frozen while there will be no evictions.
People can also leave the house for farming purposes like food production or tending and caring to animals.
All public and private gatherings of any number of people outside a single household or living unit are prohibited.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “The virus might be in your household already so don’t spread it to someone else’s. Sadly, this prohibition includes social family visits that are not for the vital reasons I have already mentioned. A further range of non-essential shops and services will be closed.
“The guidance given earlier in the week, in respect of essential retail outlets will be revised, to reflect this. Adult community education centres and local community centres will be shut. All non-essential surgery, health procedures and other non-essential health services will be postponed.”
All visits to hospitals, residential healthcare centres, other residential settings and prisons are to cease, with specific exceptions on compassionate grounds.
Shielding, or cocooning, will be introduced for all those over 70 years of age and specified categories of people who are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19.
Meanwhile, travel to Ireland’s offshore islands will be limited to residents of those islands.
Pharmacists will be permitted to dispense medicines outside the current period of validity of the existing prescription in line with the pharmacist’s clinical judgement.
All public transport and passenger travel will be restricted only to essential workers and people providing essential services.
An Taoiseach added: “Apart from the activities I have listed, there should be no travel outside two kilometres radius from your home for any other reason. These are radical actions aimed at saving as many lives as possible in the days and weeks ahead. We are not prisoners of fate. We can influence what is going to happen. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
“The whole world is suffering during this pandemic, and Ireland is no different. What happens now is up to each one of us. Show your support to our healthcare staff. Show your support for everyone who is working in essential services or looking after our vulnerable citizens. Show that you care for your families and friends. Stay at home,” he concluded.