New public health measures announced - Friday 17 December

Measures will come into effect from 20 December (midnight on Sunday night):

• all restaurants, bars and cafes, excluding take-away or delivery services, will close at 8pm. This will also apply to hotel restaurants and bars, except for overnight residents
• no indoor events, including entertainment, cultural, community and sporting events, will take place after 8pm in line with the above for the hospitality sector. In relation to events happening earlier in the day, attendance should be limited to 50% of venue capacity or 1,000 attendees, whichever is the lower. This includes cinemas. This does not affect religious, educational or normal workplace business activity and business events (for example: conferences, trade fairs)
• attendance at outdoor events, including entertainment, cultural, community and sporting events, should be limited to 50% of venue capacity or 5,000 attendees, whichever is the lower
• wedding receptions can take place with a capacity limit of 100 guests and continue after 8pm. Midnight closing time still applies

• for those that have received a booster (effective from 1 week after receiving the booster dose): restrict movements for 5 days with 3 antigen tests
• for those that have not received a booster (including those not fully vaccinated): restrict movements for 10 days. The HSE will consider the most appropriate testing schedule for this cohort (the HSE will incorporate this into the advice for close contacts in the coming days)
• there are specific arrangements already in place for healthcare workers that are close contacts and this will continue

• all persons arriving into the State from overseas will continue to be required to have an antigen or PCR tests in line with their vaccination/recovery or unvaccinated status
• all passengers arriving in Ireland are now advised to conduct antigen testing on a daily basis for a period of 5 consecutive days commencing on day of arrival

Restrictions specific to scheduled states where an “emergency brake” has been applied will be adjusted in line with the overall EU approach.

The public health advice is that the future trajectory remains uncertain. The steps everyone can take to help reduce the spread of the virus are:

• if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, stay at home and book a PCR test
• get your booster vaccine if you are eligible – being vaccinated offers good protection against severe illness and hospitalisation and lowers the risk to you and others
• when it is time for your booster vaccination, you will get a text message from the HSE to attend one of their scheduled clinics, or you may attend a designated walk-in vaccination clinic for your age group
• vaccination centres and GPs continue to offer appointments to the priority groups identified by NIAC and people can also avail of walk-in clinics at vaccination centres and through pharmacies which you can see on the HSE website
• check the HSE website and HSE's Twitter feed on Twitter which will continue to provide full updates
• if you are offered a booster appointment at a scheduled clinic, prioritise it
• remember to R.S.V.P. before you meet up with people – think of the Risk, Symptoms, Venue, People – go to Item was unpublished or removed to help assess the risk involved in any activities you have planned and the measures you can take to minimise your risk
• government advice is that everyone should take account of their overall health, their vaccine status, and the spread of Omicron in other countries before they decide to travel
• to get further information before you travel, go to gov.ie/travel