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Cabinet is hoping to agree to a revised plan to reopen society and the economy by February 22, the T\u00e1naiste has said.<\/p>\nCabinet is hoping to agree to a revised plan to reopen society and the economy by February 22, the T\u00e1naiste has said.<\/p>\n
The proposals would come into effect on March 5th at the earliest, and would be a revision to the existing Living with Covid-19 plan.<\/p>\n
Leo Varadkar also said he favors taking a \u201ctwo-island approach\u201d to quarantine measures arising from international travel, by coordinating with the UK Government.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar told a press conference on Tuesday: \u201cNobody can predict what\u2019s going to happen in this pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do hope to see reopening of our society and economy through the spring and summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s without question that there will be certain sectors, you know, aviation, tourism, entertainment, events, that may not open fully for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reopening of the construction sector is likely to go ahead on March 5, the T\u00e1naiste has indicated.<\/p>\n
It is hoped the measures can be agreed by Cabinet in the week of February 22th, coming into effect from March 5th.<\/p>\n
But he stressed that Government will take a conservative approach, and that the wider reopening of society is entirely dependent on how the virus behaves between now and then.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to say that the extent to which we can reopen, if at all, depends on what the picture looks like in a few weeks time\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends on the five and seven-day case average, it depends on the numbers continuing to fall in our ICUs, the number of people in hospital continuing to fall and the vaccine program being rolled out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said he could not give a date for the reopening of personal services such as barbers and beauty salons, but said it would be \u201cmuch later\u201d than the reopening of construction on March 5.<\/p>\n
However, he said he hoped that friends and families will be able to meet up outdoors from then.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI hope that after March 5th it will be possible for households, for friends and family to meet outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was part of the first reopening, if you remember back in May, you were able to meet with other households outdoors or in a garden.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that this virus is nearly 20 times more likely to transmit indoors versus outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo getting people outdoors will be the thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The T\u00e1naiste also said the Government is seeking to align with the UK on the issue of international travel.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the UK government announced a raft of new measures, including a requirement for mandatory hotel quarantine for British and Irish residents returning to England from 33 \u201cred list\u201d countries.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said discussions are ongoing with the British government about taking a two-island approach.<\/p>\n