Ireland Goes into Lockdown amid Coronavirus Fears

Ireland became the latest country to close all schools, colleges and childcare facilities on Thursday, the Irish Post reports. 

"The country is set to go into lockdown from 6 pm today in a bid to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak," Leo Varadkar announced this morning. 

In a statement, Varadkar said: "From 6 pm today, the following measures are being put in place, and they will stay in place until the 29th of March.

"Schools, colleges and childcare facilities will close from tomorrow. Where possible teaching will be done online or remotely. Cultural institutions will close as well. Our advice is that all indoor mass gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor mass gatherings of more than 500 people should be canceled.

"Arrangements are being made to make sure that everyone entering Ireland through ports and airports is fully informed and self-isolates if they develop symptoms."

He added that the public should "work from home where possible" and that face-to-face interaction should be reduced by holding meetings online or over the phone.

"Public transport will continue to operate," he continued, "the shops will remain open and we have plans to ensure the supply chains will not be interrupted.

"Restaurants, cafes and other businesses can stay open, but should at look at ways they can implement public health advice on social distancing, and in general, people outside work should seek to reduce social interaction as much as possible.

"The cabinet will meet later today. In the period ahead the government will deploy all of the resources it can muster, human and financial, to tackle this threat head one. Those resources are extensive but not unlimited.

"Above all, we all need to look out for each other," Varadkar said, before adding: "We will prevail."

Source: The Irish Post

Author: Harry Brent