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No plans for any new COVID restrictions before Christmas, Taoiseach suggests

Taoiseach Micheál Martin says the Government's tried to give people some certainty over the Christmas break.
Sean Defoe
Sean Defoe

10.56 22 Dec 2021


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No plans for any new COVID res...

No plans for any new COVID restrictions before Christmas, Taoiseach suggests

Sean Defoe
Sean Defoe

10.56 22 Dec 2021


Share this article


The Taoiseach has signalled no new COVID-19 restrictions will be announced between now and Christmas.

However, Micheál Martin couldn't give any guarantee there won't be additional measures in the new year.

He was speaking after a record 103,000 booster vaccines were administered yesterday, as efforts continue to limit the impact of the Omicron variant in Ireland.

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Daily COVID case numbers remain high, with the five-day moving average of new cases currently above 5,000.

The number of patients in Irish hospitals with the virus has continued to fall over the past two weeks.

However, experts have continued to express concern about the potential impact of Omicron over the coming weeks.

In response to continued uncertainty over the variant, new restrictions came into effect on Monday - including an 8pm curfew for indoor events and the hospitality sector.

Speaking today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin says they've tried to give people some security and certainty over the Christmas break.

He said: "People do need some degree of settled horizon... that's why we were anxious to make it clear [last week].

"There are no plans for any meetings this week, or for any change to the situation this week."

He also said time is needed for the new restrictions to kick in and to see what their impact is.

Additional reporting by Stephen McNeice
Main image: File photo of a 'closed' sign in Dublin. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

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