Ireland To Quicken Easing Of Lockdown: Prime Minister

Faizan Hashmi Published June 05, 2020 | 10:02 PM

Ireland will dramatically accelerate its plan to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the coming days, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Friday

Dublin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jun, 2020 ) :Ireland will dramatically accelerate its plan to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the coming days, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Friday.

"Today I can confirm that it is safe to move to phase two of the plan to reopen our country starting on Monday," Varadkar told a press conference.

"I'm also announcing an acceleration of the roadmap." More workplaces will open and household visits will be permitted from Monday in line with the government plan to reopen the Republic announced in May.

However an escalation of the scheme will see citizens allowed to travel across their county of residence and/or up to 20 kilometres (12 miles) from home.

All shops will also be permitted to reopen whilst the final stage of the "roadmap" to end lockdown -- in place since 28 March -- will be brought forward from August to July.

Playgrounds will reopen while the government now intends to allow hotels, restaurants and bars serving food to resume trade on June 29.

"We are making progress, we are heading in the right direction, and we have earned the right to be hopeful about the future again," Varadkar said.

Ireland has suffered 1,664 deaths from the coronavirus, according to official figures.

Recorded deaths peaked at 77 in a single day in April, but by Thursday that figure had fallen to just five.

The Republic last Monday registered its first day without any COVID-19 deaths in more than two months, one week after entering the first phase of its plan to leave lockdown.