DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland may need to reimpose some COVID-19 restrictions in January, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Monday, after health chiefs warned that cases may be rising again following the reopening of most of the economy in the last two weeks.
Ireland currently has the lowest incidence rate of COVID-19 in the European Union after it moved early to temporarily shut shops, bars and restaurants in October. People will be allowed to travel throughout the country again from Friday with small levels of household mixing permitted until Jan. 6.
“You could very well be looking at some further restrictions in January,” Martin told national broadcaster RTE, noting that the curbs lifted this month were not as strict as the initial lockdown. He said the government would consult widely before making any decisions.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Catherine Evans)
