The Government is to hold crunch talks tomorrow to consider the National Public Health Emergency Team’s recommendation that the country should go to Level 5 for six weeks.
But how will that impact on people in Donegal and the rest of the country?
In a nutshell, we will move back to the “lockdown’ we encountered in March of this year when the virus began to take hold here.
We will be asked to remain at home unless it is absolutely necessary to travel but we can exercise within a 5km radius of our home once a day.
We can not visit or have visitors in our homes and all sport will stop.
GATHERINGS
No visitors are permitted in people’s homes.
No social or family gatherings are allowed outside or in other settings.
Up to six guests can attend a wedding ceremony and reception.
Up to ten mourners can attend a funeral.
All religious services move online.
No organised gatherings be it indoor or outdoor are allowed take place.
EXERCISE AND SPORT
Only individual training is permitted within 5km of a person’s home with no exercise or dance classes allowed.
No matches or events can take place while all gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools must close.
TRAVEL
Under Level 5 every person in Ireland is asked to stay at home except to exercise within a 5km zone of their house.
People are only asked to travel beyond 5km if it is deemed essential or if the person is an essential worker.
People are asked to work from home unless working in health, social care or another essential service that cannot be done from home.
Public transport capacity will be restricted to 25 per cent with only essential workers or someone with essential purposes being asked to use public transport.
SHOPS
Essential sops such as supermarkets are permitted where face masks must be worn.
All other retail and personal services such as hairdressers, beauticians and barbers must close.
HOSPITALITY SECTOR
Bars, cafes, restaurants, hotel restaurants and bars and wet pubs can only provide take away food or deliveries.
Nightclubs discos and casinos have to close.
Hotels and accommodation can open only for those with essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
SCHOOLS
The advice for schools, creches and higher and adult education centres is: “Recommendations based on situation and evidence at time.”
Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks can also open with protective measures in place.
VISITING CARE HOMES
Visits to long-term residential care facilities such as nursing and care homes are suspended aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.