Ireland lifting some coronavirus restrictions today

Ireland is lifting some coronavirus lockdown restrictions today. A phased reopening of non-essential retail will begin, with click-and-collect services and in-store shopping by appointment allowed, while close contact services, such as hairdressers, can resume.

Restrictions on inter-county travel have also lifted, while some of the limitations on indoor and outdoor social gatherings have eased.

Many museums, galleries and libraries are now able to reopen and the number of people allowed to attend religious services, including weddings and funerals, has increased to 50. Indoor wedding receptions will be capped at six people and 15 for outdoor celebrations.

Three households, or up to six people from individual households, can now meet outdoors, including in private gardens. Vaccinated households can also meet with an unvaccinated household indoors (without masks or social distancing) provided they are not at risk of severe illness and there are no more than three households present.

Next Monday retail will reopen fully, with a variety of other restrictions due to lift in June.

On Sunday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed hope that Ireland could look forward to a good summer. He was commenting after he received an AstraZeneca vaccine in Cork. “I think we’re making great progress as a country,” he said.

“I think people have done extremely well in responding to the various guidelines over the last number of months and the results are that we are emerging from this pandemic.

Ireland’s much criticised vaccination programme delivered a record for the number of jabs administered in one day on Friday, with 52,000 shots.

Photo: An elderly couple walk on O’Connell Street in Dublin City centre, Ireland – EC – Audiovisual Service