Press release
Government sets out Plan for COVID-19 Resilience and National Recovery
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
Plan for living with COVID-19 shows families, business and society how to respond to emerging COVID-19 situation over next 7 months
€600 million in funding agreed for health service Winter Initiative
The government has today published Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 which will guide Ireland’s response to saving lives and managing the pandemic over the next seven months.
It sets out how Ireland and the Irish people can continue managing the disease in a rapidly changing global environment.
Cabinet also agreed to allocate a record €600 million for the 2020 Winter Initiative, to ensure that our health service has the capacity and resources needed to deal with what is forecast to be a particularly challenging few months.
The plan sets out five levels of response, each with a number of measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission, and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. It aims to allow society and businesses to be able to operate as normally as possible, while continuing to suppress the virus.
In particular, keeping schools, early learning and childcare services open are a top priority. We want to keep people in work, and businesses operating, as we need a functioning economy to maintain our public services.
Each level outlines what is permitted for social or family gatherings, work and public transport, bars, hotels and restaurants, exercise activities and religious services.
In terms of gatherings, life events like weddings and funerals, and sports and arts events in controlled environments are given priority. The plan also aims to maintain access to some form of sports and social activities because they support us in living with the disease.
Aside from agreeing to the framework, other key decisions taken at Cabinet include:
The Framework sets out how everyone - individuals, families, businesses, and organisations can plan for the next seven months, depending on the incidence of the disease at that moment in time.
So its priorities for us all are:
Each of the levels has specific guidance for the following areas:
Given concern over the incidence of COVID-19 in Dublin, and based on NPHET’s recommendations, Cabinet agreed that additional measures will apply in the county:
The power to control this pandemic is still in our hands. Irish people have shown time and again that they will follow the public health advice in order to protect themselves, their families, and society as a whole. We need this co-operation and compassion to continue for the period ahead to continue fighting the disease, and to protect the most vulnerable people in society.
For more information see:
ENDS