The State’s public health team has cleared the way for the easing of almost all Covid-19 restrictions over the coming days.
The National Public Health Emergency Team met on Thursday and agreed to recommend the removal of the 8pm closing time for hospitality and the end of the requirement for a Covid-19 pass to gain access to pubs and restaurants.
The digital pass will still be needed for international travel, however.
The team also cleared the way for the removal of crowd limits as well as an end to restrictions on permitted household guests. A phased return to work has also been recommended in order to give workplaces time to organise their own individual public health measures, a source said.
Some of the only restrictions to remain will be around the requirement to wear a mask in retail and on public transport, as well as existing public health measures in places likes schools.
A source said that the recommendations went further than many in Government expected and represented a significant acceleration in terms of the path out of the pandemic.
The Nphet members were understood to have discussed how the Covid-19 digital pass need no longer be required for access to hospitality given the high levels of either infection or vaccination in the population at present.
Live venues and hospitality venues…