Government agrees next phase of Ireland’s COVID-19 response
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
Following a meeting of the special Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 today, the government has decided on the next phase of Ireland’s response to the global and national public health emergency arising from Covid-19.
The main objective in the current phase is to limit and slow down the spread of the virus, to keep the number of affected people to a minimum and reduce peak pressure on the health service.
The main actions agreed today are:
Due to the unique nature and scale of the St Patrick’s Day festivities, in terms of size, the mass gathering of local and international travellers, and the continued progression of community transmission in some European countries, along with the emergence of a small number of cases of local transmission in Ireland, the government has decided that St Patrick’s Day parades, including the Dublin parade, will not proceed.
This is based on the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team. The situation in relation to other events and mass gatherings remains under review and any response will be guided by the NPHET which meets again tomorrow, along with the public health advice.
The Committee was chaired by the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar and received briefings from relevant Ministers and officials, including the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Executive of the Health Service Executive.
The Cabinet Committee considered:
The HSE will undertake a series of actions at a cost of €435 million.
These will include:
The main elements are:
The Health and Social Welfare actions agreed today represent a significant protection for workers and businesses and represent a total stimulus to the economy estimated at €3 billion.
Other actions to help reduce the wider economic impact include:
ENDS