Public behaviour will be “critical” when Ireland moves to Level Three restrictions this December, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.
The Taoiseach warned that gatherings with alcohol were a leading cause of spikes in Covid-19 this autumn.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Martin said the government aims to exit Level 5 onto Level 3 on Tuesday 1st December. This would allow non-essential retail to open up. Ministers are still drafting plans on restaurants and what reopenings will mean for drink-only pubs. The Government is set to receive recommendations from Nphet later this week.
Mr Martin told the paper that “individual behaviour” will be critical on how we get through Christmas.
“What our own data is showing us really is looking back over the summer to the September, October period is that congregation, large crowds gathering, alcohol, events, all of those things coming together proved the cause of a lot of spikes in different parts of the country, we have to try to avoid that again into the future, people need to be aware of that,” he said.