Roads across Carlow and Kilkenny are set to be much busier from today.
The five-kilometre travel limit has been lifted and you’re now free to travel within your county or 20 kilometres from your home.
It’s one of the Level 5 restrictions being eased, as well as two households being allowed to meet outside, but not in private gardens.
All students will return to schools for the first time in 2021 also today.
Junior Education Minister Josepha Madigan says getting schools back is what the Government has been working towards.
Teachers Union of Ireland General Secretary, Michael Gillespie says everyone must stick to safety rules.
Meanwhile, capacity on public transport remains at 25% despite the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions.
Bus Eireann says with the full reopening of schools, the transport system for schools will be boosted to 50%.
Its Chief Customer Officer, Alan Parker says it’s expected to be busiest at rush hour
Construction
All home building will resume today, with the easing of some level 5 restrictions.
Non-essential construction works have been closed since January 8th and will start re-opening on a phased basis.
Construction Industry Federation Director General, Tom Parlon is relieved some workers are returning but says thousands aren’t.
Latest Figures
It’s as the Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn says “there are many reasons for hope” as restrictions are eased, and said the remaining measures along with the vaccine are “our way out of the pandemic”.
303 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by the Department of Health last night, the lowest daily figure since mid-December, while two more deaths linked to the disease were recorded. A county breakdown was not available as of 6:30 am this morning (Monday, 12th April).
Last night in public hospitals there were 223 people with the virus, down over 10 on last week.
Professor Sam McConkey from the RCSI says keeping up the basic measures is now incredibly important.
Travel
Three Covid-19 outbreaks in the past fortnight have been linked to overseas flights, with two involving ‘variants of concern’.
The Department of Health says vaccinated people still need to enter mandatory hotel quarantine when they arrive here.
There is some evidence people who have been vaccinated have been diagnosed with COVID-19 involving one of the variants of concern.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister confirmed last night that Albania, Israel and St. Lucia have been taken off the travel list.
Stephen Donnelly says a small number of people who’ve arrived here from these 3 states in recent days, can leave mandatory hotel quarantine as soon as they want.
From 4 am on Thursday the US and Canada, as well as a number of EU countries including France, Belgium and Italy will be added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list
