Government confirmed that the next phase of lifting restrictions will take place from next Monday, April 26.

As the vaccination campaign has witnessed some serious progress across the nation and the overall covid-19 situation started to improve, there is now more room for outdoor activities and the number of people attending funerals. The planned easing of restrictions will include opening of outdoor visitor attractions (such as Dublin Zoo), sports facilities, and non-contact training.

Government in a statement issued today said that: “Over 852,000 citizens, representing 21.8% of those aged 16 and over, have received their first dose of the vaccine so far. The infrastructure for broader vaccination support has now been mobilized, including the online registration system and the use of mass vaccination spots. This will continue to grow in the coming days, in order to optimize vaccination in alignment with the supply.

Online registration system which was launched on 15 April has targeted at 65–69-year-olds, of whom over 136,000 of about 170,000 in this age group have so far registered. Vaccinations will take place through 28 of the 38 Vaccination Centers which are being brought on track to facilitate current numbers. And the person with age 60-64 will be targeted for the next vaccination

From next Monday I.e., from April 26: Outdoor sports facilities such as pitches, golf courses and tennis courts, other facilities as appropriate will reopen and all other social gathering activities should take place between a maximum of two households. Some other facilities including club houses and any indoor facilities such as changing rooms, showers, kitchens, meeting rooms, apart from essential toilet will be remained closed. Any return to team sports or training activities will not be available until next notice.

Some other easing in restrictions include underage non-contact outdoor training in pods of 15 or fewer that can be resumed. Outdoor visitor locations such as zoos, open pet farms, heritage sites but not amusement parks can reopen but indoor areas should remain closed and hospitality should only be open for take-away services. Some serious protective measures, including appropriate capacity limits, should be in place.

Maximum allowed attendance at funerals will be increases to 25 on compassionate grounds and combined gatherings should not take place just before or after the funeral services.