Taoiseach Micheál Martin has announced that all schools must remain closed with teaching to move online.
The only exemptions will be for children with special needs and Leaving Certificate students who will return for three days a week.
The Government also announced that Youthreach services will resume as scheduled as well as the resumption of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is delayed until February 1st.
The Taoiseach also announced that crèches and other childcare services are expected to remain open but only for vulnerable children and the children of essential workers.
As the Irish Examiner reports, a number of measures surrounding schools, travel and construction are being announced at a Government briefing.
It is understood essential workers will be allowed to form a ‘bubble’ with another household to facilitate childcare if they do not have an existing arrangement.
The measures are being introduced to reduce mobility across the country, amid fears that the health service is reaching a breaking point as regards the numbers of Coronavirus patients in hospitals.
Tánaiste Leo Varadker also said that the PUP will remain in place until at least the end of March this year.
Construction
Regarding construction, the Cabinet agreed that all construction sites, apart from those deemed to be critical infrastructure such as schools and some social housing projects, will close from 6pm on Friday until January 31st.
Construction will close from 6pm on Friday, January 8th, with limited exceptions which include:
- essential health and related projects including those relevant to preventing, limiting, minimising or slowing the spread of COVID-19
- social housing projects, including voids, designated as essential sites by Local Authorities based on set criteria
- housing adaptation grants where the homeowner is agreeable to adaptions being undertaken in their home
- repair, maintenance and construction of critical transport and utility infrastructure
- education facilities sites designated as essential by Department of Education
- supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis
- certain large construction projects in the exporting / FDI sector based on set criteria
Retail: All non-essential retail services are to remain closed.
They said that click and collect from non-essential retail outlets should no longer be permitted with immediate effect.
Existing orders may be collected, but Click and deliver will continue to be permitted.
Social and family gatherings: They said that no visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.
No social or family gatherings should take place in other settings are permitted.
They said No organised indoor or outdoor gatherings should take place.
International travel: The current travel moratorium in place for travel from Great Britain and South Africa is extended until midnight Friday January, 8th 2021.
They announced that from January 9th, all passengers arriving at Irish airports and ports whose journey originates in Great Britain or South Africa will be requested to have evidence of a negative result from a PCR COVID-19 test (COVID-19 not detected) taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.
Essential supply chain workers will be exempt from the requirement to have evidence of a negative PCR COVID-19 test result.
An exemption from the requirement to have evidence of a negative test result can also be considered in exceptional and urgent humanitarian cases, particularly related to an emergency medical need for the person or his/her child.
There will also be an exemption for the Garda Síochána in the exercise of their functions and officials carrying out public service duties.
