Many workers in Carlow and Kilkenny set for an office return today as Covid-19 restrictions ease further

More workers in Carlow and Kilkenny are set to return to their offices today (Monday, 20th September).

For many, it’s been a year and half since they sat at their desks as Covid-19 restrictions ease further ahead of the full reopening date at the end of next month.

Rules around indoor group activities for the likes of bowling or karate and dance classes will ease, while limits on outdoor group activities will also be removed.

Nicola Purcell of Dance Republic in Carlow, which also offers classes in parts of Kilkenny, returns to the studio today and is very excited to have her students back in the class, telling KCLR News “I can’t wait, I mean, really and truly sure it’s 18 months, I know we had a little bit of reprieve last Summer where we were allowed to have a couple of classes but really and truly we haven’t seen some of our children in 18 months so we’re so looking forward to that; children that were in our baby class, the two and three-year-olds are now four and five-year-olds so it’s all completely changed, we have a whole new group of children coming in and we’re just so excited to meet hem all and get started”.

Meanwhile, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is urging staff going back to workplaces from today be ready to challenge their bosses if public health precautions aren’t being taken.

Updated guidelines set to run unto October 22nd oblige employers to make sure social distancing is being maintained at work, including team pods, staggered break times, and a ban on handshakes.

ICTU General Secretary Patricia King says everyone has a duty to stay safe, noting “The virus is still out there and even if restrictions are lifted from a public health advice that does not mean that people should not be careful, that people should not risk their own safety, while you may have restrictions lifted it does not mean that people should not take all the precautions they need to take in the particular circumstances that they find themselves in, that should all be discussed with the employer”.

It’s as six people were being treated for the virus last night at St Luke’s General Hospital for Carlow and Kilkenny.

One person remains in the intensive care unit there while there’s one further suspected case.

They’re among 278 in hospitals across the country, up yesterday by 17 on the previous 24 hours.

While a further 1,224 Covid-19 cases were reported last evening across the country.