The Irish government has unveiled new social distancing guidelines for venues which are reopening after being closed since March 2020 during a strict Covid lockdown, as the country seeks to lift pandemic restrictions.
Venues began to reopen in Ireland last weekend, with nightclubs readmitting customers almost 600 days after they were closed due to the pandemic. While they can begin serving customers again, nightclubs and evening venues still face a number of restrictions, including only being allowed to admit people who purchased tickets in advance.
In guidance published by the Irish government, individuals visiting venues as they reopen have been advised to avoid “high-risk activities,” such as crowd surfing, singing along, moving through crowds, or throwing personal items on stage.
Face coverings must also be worn at all times inside venues, except when people are dancing, drinking, or eating. Any clubgoers must remain one metre apart at all times.
The Covid restrictions in Ireland have been some of the toughest in Europe, with the nation being advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to consider using local restrictions if cases continue to rise at the rate they’ve been growing in the country.
Irish government minister Eamon Ryan has stated that he doesn’t think Covid restrictions will be reintroduced over the winter period or ahead of Christmas, amid concerns about potential pressure the country’s health service could come under due to the number of cases.
Since the start of the pandemic, Ireland has recorded 435,526 confirmed cases and 5,436 deaths from the pandemic, with cases and fatalities starting to rise in recent weeks, according to data provided to the WHO.
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