Connacht Tribune
The FULL list: roadmap to Covid-19 re-openings
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced that the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are to be extended until May 18.
However, from next Tuesday, the current 2km travel restriction will be extended to 5km, and people over 70 who are cocooning have been advised they should continue to do so, but can go outside if they avoid contact with other people.
In an address to the nation this evening, Mr Varadkar said that the last few weeks have transformed out lives in so many different ways.
He outlined a roadmap of five stages on how the country will attempt to return to ‘normality’.
The following is the full roadmap to recovery:
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Phase 1, May 18th
From May 18, outdoor workers will be able to return to work. Some retail outlets such as garden centres, hardware shops, farmers markets and repair shops (such as bicycle, motor), electrical, IT and phone sales will reopen. Some sporting activities in small groups will be permitted. Small groups of up to four people (not of the same household) will be permitted to meet outdoors while maintaining social distancing.
Restrictions of ten people at funerals will remain in place.
Outdoor amenities and tourism sites such as beaches, carparks and mountain walks can be reopened. Small outdoor sports amenities can re-open, e.g. pitches, tennis courts, golf courses, where social distancing can be maintained.
Phase 2, June 8th
Restrictions on travel to be extended to 20km from your home. Continue to avoid unnecessary journeys. Designate specific retail hours across all retailers for the over 70s and medically vulnerable, with strict social distancing, gloves and face masks.
Visits to homes of over 70s and medically vulnerable for small number of people, for short period of time, wearing masks etc.
Up to four people may visit another household for a short period of time.
Slightly larger number of people in attendance at funerals, but still restricted to immediate family and close friends.
Permitted phased return of workers who can maintain 2m social distance constantly. Maintain remote working for businesses that can do so.
Small retail outlets with small number of staff can re-open. Marts where social distancing can be maintained will reopen.
Open public libraries with numbers limited and permit people to engage in outdoor sporting and fitness activities in small group training (but not matches)
Phase 3, June 29th
Opening of crèches, childminders and pre-schools for children of essential workers in phased manner with social distancing and other requirements applying.
Phased approach to visiting at hospitals, healthcare centres/prisons etc.
With a risk-based approach, organisations where employees have low levels of daily interaction and social distancing can be maintained, can open.
Phased opening of non-essential retail, with restrictions on numbers of staff and customers per square metre. This will be limited to retail outlets with street-level entrance and exit, i.e. which are not in shopping centres.
Re-open playgrounds and permit ‘behind closed doors’ sporting activities.
Open cafes, restaurants where they can comply with social distancing.
Phase 4, July 20th
Extend travel restrictions to outside your region. Slightly larger numbers can visit households for a short period of time. Small social gatherings by family and close friends with a maximum number (such as weddings and baptisms).
Small social (non-family) gatherings limited to a maximum number of people for a limited time period.
Opening of crèches, childminders and pre-schools to all other workers on a phased basis (e.g. one day per week) and slowly increasing thereafter.
Organisations where employees cannot remote work to be considered first for return to onsite working. Staggered shifts should be operated.
Commence loosening restrictions on higher risk services involving direct contact, e.g. barbers, hairdressers.
Open museums, galleries, religious places of workshop.
Permit sports team leagues (e.g. soccer and GAA), but only where limitations and placed on number of spectators and social distancing can be maintained.
Open public swimming pools.
Open hotels, hostels, caravan parks for social and tourist activities with limited occupancy increasing over time. Hotel bars remain closed.
Phase 5, August 10th
Commence opening of schools and colleges on a phased basis at the beginning of the 2020/21 academic year.
Return to normal visiting for hospitals, care homes, prisons etc.
Phased return (risk-based) to onsite working. ‘Higher risk’ organisations which by their nature cannot easily maintain social distancing will implement plans for how they can eventually progress towards onsite return for full staff complement.
Opening of enclosed shopping centres where social distancing can be maintained. Further loosening of services such as tattoo and piercing.
Open theatres and cinemas where social distancing can be maintained.
Permit close physical contact sports (rugby, boxing, wrestling); open gyms, exercise studios where regular cleaning can be carried out and social distancing maintained.
Permit sports spectatorship which involve mass gatherings with limits on indoor and outdoor numbers and social distancing.
Roller skating, bowling alley, bingo halls can reopen with limited numbers.
Pubs, bars, nightclubs, casinos where social distancing and strict cleaning can be complied with.
Festivals, events, social and cultural mass gatherings will be permitted where there are limits on numbers and social distancing is maintained.
Resume tourist travel to offshore islands by non-residents.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
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Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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