COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
The COVID-19 pandemic reached the Republic of Ireland on 29 February 2020,[6] within three weeks, cases had been confirmed in all counties.[7][8] The pandemic affected many aspects of society. On 12 March, the government shut all schools, colleges, childcare facilities and cultural institutions, they advised cancelling large gatherings.[9] St Patrick's Day festivities were called off,[10] and the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, addressed the nation that night. On 24 March, almost all businesses, venues, facilities and amenities were shut; but gatherings of up to four people were allowed.[11] Three days later on the 27 March, the government imposed a stay-at-home order, banning all non-essential travel and contact with people outside one's home (including family and partners).[12][13][14] The elderly and those with certain health conditions were told to cocoon.[15] People were made keep apart in public. The Garda Síochána were given power to enforce the measures,[16] which were repeatedly extended until 18 May.[17]
| COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland | |
|---|---|
 COVID-19 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population by county,[lower-roman 1] 9 February 2021
Ireland:
 319.0 (-7.9) (9 February 2021)
Vaccinated: 236,996[lower-roman 2] (6 February 2021)[1] | |
(clockwise from top)
| |
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Republic of Ireland |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Index case | Dublin |
| Arrival date | 29 February 2020 (11 months, 1 week and 4 days ago) |
| Confirmed cases | 204,940 (+556) (9 February 2021)[2] |
| Hospitalised cases |
|
| Critical cases | |
| Ventilator cases | 128 (-4) (active) (8 February 2021)[5] |
Deaths | 3,752 (+68) (9 February 2021)[2] |
| Fatality rate |  1.83% |
| Government website | |
| Gov.ie – COVID-19 (Coronavirus) | |
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The restrictions imposed caused a severe recession,[18] an unprecedented rise in unemployment[19] and caused major damage to all sectors.[20][21] A COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and a Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme were set up. The 2020 Leaving Certificate, Junior Certificate and all 2020 Irish language summer courses in the Gaeltacht were cancelled. The Health Service Executive (HSE) launched a recruitment campaign, asking both healthcare and non-healthcare professionals to "be on call for Ireland".[22] The previous government of the 32nd Dáil remained in post during the initial several months of the pandemic until its successor was appointed on 27 June. Dáil Éireann sat with fewer members and moved from its traditional home at Leinster House to the Convention Centre to facilitate social distancing requirements.[23][24] The Oireachtas passed an emergency act giving the state power to detain people, restrict travel and keep people in their homes to control the virus's spread.[25] Further emergency legislation passed the following week.
By mid-April, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reported that the growth rate of the pandemic had been driven "as low as it needs to be",[26] that the curve had flattened and that there would be no peak coming.[27] Daily cases and deaths slowly declined in June and July 2020. In August, a three-week regional lockdown was imposed in three counties following a significant rise in confirmed cases mainly in meat processing plants.[28][29][30] In October 2020, lockdown restrictions were reimplemented nationwide following a rapid surge in confirmed cases and the introduction of a second wave of COVID-19 in Ireland.[31][32][33][34] The second lockdown resulted in Ireland's 14-day incidence rate to be the lowest in the European Union,[35][36] while restrictions eased in early December.[37][38][39] A third wave of COVID-19 arrived in Ireland after restrictions eased.[40] The government acted swiftly and on 24 December (Christmas Eve), lockdown restrictions were reimplemented nationwide following another surge in confirmed cases in Ireland.[41][42][43] On St Stephen's Day, the first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the Republic of Ireland.[44][45][46] Vaccinations began three days later on 29 December 2020.[47]
By 9 February 2021, the Department of Health had confirmed 204,940 cases and 3,752 deaths.[2] More than 90% of those who have died were aged over 65,[48] and most also had underlying illnesses or lived in care homes.[49]
Statistics
The surveillance of COVID-19 cases has been integrated into the existing national Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) system since COVID-19 was made a notifiable disease on 20 February 2020. CIDR is the information system used to manage the surveillance and control of infectious diseases in Ireland, both at regional and national level.[50] Daily epidemiological reports on COVID-19 are prepared by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) for the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).[4] Additional information, including the actual dates of the backlogged cases announced on 10 April 2020, is provided by the Health Service Executive in its daily operations updates.[5]
By 9 February 2021, the Department of Health had confirmed 204,940 cases and 3,752 deaths;[2] a rate of 41,225 cases per million, 755 deaths per million and 647,405 tests per million population.[51]
|
Confirmed COVID-19 cases (*Recoveries and active cases not updated since July 2020) | |
|
Total confirmed cases Total deaths Health workers *Total recovered *Active cases | |
|
Daily new confirmed cases with 7-day moving average (Some days include backlog of cases) | |
| 7-day average new cases | |
|
Daily new cases (last 14 days in detail) (Some days include de-notified cases) | |
|
Daily new deaths with 7-day moving average (Some days include backlog of 'probable' deaths) | |
| Total deaths (by week) | |
|
Daily new deaths (last 14 days in detail) (Some days include de-notified deaths) | |
| Hospitalised. ICU. Ventilated | |
| Cumulative hospitalisation and ICU totals | |
|
Total admitted to hospital | |
| % known mode of transmission | |
|
Community Close contact Travel-related | |
Transmission breakdown to 7 February
| Number of clusters of confirmed cases | |
| Age | Cases (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 4,826(2.4%) | ||||||||
| 5–14 | 11,503(5.7%) | ||||||||
| 15–24 | 34,560(17.3%) | ||||||||
| 25–34 | 35,550(17.8%) | ||||||||
| 35–44 | 31,934(16%) | ||||||||
| 45–54 | 30,264(15.2%) | ||||||||
| 55–64 | 23,011(11.5%) | ||||||||
| 65–74 | 12,859(6.5%) | ||||||||
| 75–84 | 9,607(4.8%) | ||||||||
| 85+ | 7,349(3.7%) | ||||||||
| Unknown | 30(0.01%) | ||||||||
|
Median age: 38; Mean age: 41; Range: 0-108 | |||||||||
| Age | Deaths (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–24 | 2(0.1%) | ||||||||
| 25–34 | 8(0.2%) | ||||||||
| 35–44 | 20(0.6%) | ||||||||
| 45–54 | 53(1.6%) | ||||||||
| 55–64 | 151(4.6%) | ||||||||
| 65–74 | 501(15.1%) | ||||||||
| 75–84 | 1,149(34.6%) | ||||||||
| 85+ | 1,431(43.1%) | ||||||||
| Unknown | 2(0.1%) | ||||||||
| Health Worker | 12(0.4%) | ||||||||
|
Median age: 83; Mean age: 81; Range: 17-105 | |||||||||
| Age | Number of cases (%) |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | 120(1%) |
| 5–14 | 112(0.97%) |
| 15–24 | 442(3.84%) |
| 25–34 | 737(6.4%) |
| 35–44 | 878(7.62%) |
| 45–54 | 1,314(11.41%) |
| 55–64 | 1,625(14.11%) |
| 65+ | 6,353(55.2%) |
| Gender | Number of cases (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 107,651(52.88%) | ||||||||
| Male | 96,681(47.49%) | ||||||||
| Unknown | 52(0.02%) | ||||||||
|
Total = 203,568 | |||||||||
| Gender | Number of deaths (%) |
|---|---|
| Female | 1,581(47.7%) |
| Male | 1,735(52.3%) |
| Unknown | 2(0.09%) |
Timeline
First Wave: February–August 2020
The NPHET, a group within the Department of Health, began monitoring the spread of the virus before it was confirmed to have reached Ireland.[52] According to The Irish Times, the NPHET for COVID-19 was created on 27 January 2020.[53] NPHET continued to meet after the virus had arrived in Ireland to co-ordinate the national response to the pandemic.[54] The Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group—a subgroup of NPHET chaired by Dr Cillian de Gascun, the UCD-based Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory – met for the first time on 5 February in Dublin.[55][56][57]
In late February, the Department of Health stated that Ireland was in the Containment Phase of its strategy against the virus, though media briefings with such figures with Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan were already underway.[58]
On 20 February, COVID-19 was added to the list of notifiable diseases legislated in Ireland. As a notifiable disease, COVID-19 was included among the list of diseases designated as "infectious diseases". Medical practitioners or laboratory directors, on becoming aware of a notifiable disease, should notify it to a Medical Officer of Health (Director of Public Health or designate) who subsequently notify HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).[50]
On 27 February, the first case on the island of Ireland was announced—a woman from Belfast who had travelled from Northern Italy through Dublin Airport.[59] Two days later, on 29 February, the first confirmed case in the Republic of Ireland was announced involving a male student from the east of the country, who had arrived there from Northern Italy.[6][60][61] Authorities shut a secondary school linked to the case as a precautionary measure.[60][62] The State did not name the school involved, but—shortly afterwards—the Irish Examiner's Political Editor, Daniel McConnell, tweeted a copy of the letter it had sent to parents informing them it would close.[63]
On 11 March, an elderly patient in Naas General Hospital in County Kildare (south-west of the country's capital city, Dublin) became Ireland's first fatality from the virus.[64]
On 12 March, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities until 29 March.[9] The announcement, which came one day after the World Health Organization formally declared that the outbreak was a pandemic, also marked Ireland's movement from the Containment Phase in its strategy to combat the spread of the virus (a strategy which the Department of the Taoiseach had reaffirmed just three days earlier) towards the Delay Phase.[65][66]
On 15 March, the Government of Ireland ordered bars and public houses to close and advised against house parties.[67]
On 18 March, detailed information about hospital statistics, age range affected, how COVID-19 was spreading, healthcare workers and cases by county was published by the National Public Health Emergency Team starting on this day. It showed that the virus was present in 23 of the 26 counties, with Laois, Leitrim and Monaghan the only three yet to record a case.[68]
On 26 March, 255 cases and 10 deaths were confirmed, bringing the totals to 1,819 cases and 19 deaths, more than double the previous day's total.[69] According to Chief Medical Officer Holohan, most of the deaths occurred in "institutional settings", i.e. hospitals and nursing homes.[70] At this point, deaths began to accelerate rapidly.
On 27 March, 302 new cases as well as 3 new deaths brought the total number of confirmed cases and deaths to 2,121 and 22, respectively.[71] Among the deaths was the country's first healthcare worker fatality, who was based in the east of the country.[72] Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced a national stay-at-home order with a series of measures which he summed up as: "Stay at Home".[73] Merrion Street described it as "a more intensive phase in our response to COVID-19".[74] The measures, which coincided with an escalating death toll, were also a response to increased reliance on intensive care units (ICUs) to treat critically ill patients, and an attempt to lower this number before capacity was reached.[75]
On 1 April, it was announced that Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan, who displayed signs of illness during the previous evening's news conference, had entered hospital for non-COVID reasons; Ronan Glynn (Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Head of the Department of Health's Health Protection Unit) took charge.[76]
On 10 April, it was reported that there was a discrepancy between the number of cases confirmed by Ireland's Department of Health and the ECDC, due to swab tests sent to Germany for analysis to clear the backlog and testing in Ireland.[77] Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that measures introduced on 27 March would be extended until at least 5 May.[78]
On 14 April, Minister for Health Simon Harris said between 25,000 and 30,000 tests had been sent to Germany and "well over" half of the results had been returned, with the remainder due back by next week.[79] The National Public Health Emergency Team said there would be a "real danger" of a second wave of virus cases, if the changing of restrictions was not done correctly.[80][81][82]
On 15 April, a further 657 cases, together with an additional 411 cases from the backlog of tests at the laboratory in Germany, and 38 deaths were reported, bringing the totals to 12,547 cases and 444 deaths.[83] Among the deaths announced, a 23-year-old said to be the youngest person to have died in the country at the time.[84] Also on this date, a spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group confirmed the deaths of two healthcare workers, a man and a woman, at the same hospital in Kilkenny, the man having died at home the previous day and the woman having died in the hospital that day.[85][86]
On 16 April, the National Public Health Emergency Team reported that lockdown and other measures had driven the growth rate of the pandemic "as low as it needs to be" and was "close to zero".[26]
On 21 April, Chief Medical Officer Holohan announced that 8,377 people had recovered in the community and that 856 people were discharged from hospital. He also announced that the curve had flattened and that no peak would be coming.[27]
On 29 April, a further 376 cases and 31 deaths were reported, bringing the end of April totals to 20,253 cases and 1,190 deaths.[87] Holohan said, "We estimate that as of Saturday 25th April 12,222 COVID-19 cases (64%) in the community have recovered. 1,164 cases (6%) have been discharged from hospital which gives us a total recovery rate of 70%."[88]
On 1 May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the extension of the current restrictions to 18 May at the earliest.[17] A roadmap to easing restrictions in Ireland that includes five stages was adopted by the government and subsequently published online.[89][90]
On 15 May, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan announced seven children in Ireland had been identified with links to paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a new illness temporarily associated with COVID-19.[91] The Government of Ireland confirmed that phase one of easing the COVID-19 restrictions would begin on Monday 18 May.[92] Among the heritage sites reopening under phase one were Cong Abbey, Farmleigh, Kilkenny Castle, Knocknarea, the National Botanic Gardens and Trim Castle.[93]
From 16 to 17 May, 156 cases and 25 deaths were reported, bringing the totals to 24,112 cases and 1,543 deaths.[94][95] At this point, cases and deaths began to decelerate.
On 18 May, the government's roadmap of easing COVID-19 restrictions began.[96]
On 31 May, a further 66 cases and 2 deaths were reported, bringing the end of May totals to 24,990 cases and 1,652 deaths.[97]
On 5 June, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced a series of changes to the government's roadmap of easing COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland, which he summed up as: "Stay Local".[98] The Government of Ireland confirmed that "phase two plus" of easing the COVID-19 restrictions would begin on Monday 8 June.[99]
On 19 June, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced a further re-configuration of the government's roadmap with hairdressers, barbers, gyms, cinemas and churches reopening from 29 June.[100][101]
On 29 June, phase three of the government's roadmap of easing COVID-19 restrictions began.[102] Remaining businesses reopened including all pubs serving food, cafés, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers, beauty salons and tourist attractions.[103]
On 30 June, a further 11 cases and 1 death were reported, bringing the end of June totals to 25,473 cases and 1,736 deaths.[104]
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On 7 July, the Health Service Executive released the COVID Tracker contact tracing app that uses ENS and Bluetooth technology to record if a user is in close contact with another user, by exchanging anonymous codes, with over one million downloads within two days after its launch.[105][106][107]
Phase four of easing COVID-19 restrictions was initially scheduled to take place on 20 July, but was repeatedly postponed until 31 August at the earliest.[108][109]
On 31 July, a further 38 cases and no deaths were reported, bringing the end of July totals to 26,065 cases and 1,763 deaths.[110]
On 12 August, it was announced that the Government of Ireland intended to move away from the phases of re-opening the country, and switch to a colour-coded system planned by the National Public Health Emergency Team to indicate how counties, regions and the country as a whole are currently affected by COVID-19.[111]
Second Wave: August–December 2020
On 7 August, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced a series of measures for counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly following significant increases of COVID-19 cases in the three counties, which came into effect from midnight and would remain in place for two weeks.[29][30][112]
On 18 August, following a Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings, the Government of Ireland announced six new measures because of the growing number of confirmed cases, which remained in place until 15 September.[113][114][115]
On 21 August, the Government of Ireland announced that COVID-19 restrictions in counties Laois and Offaly were lifted but were extended for another two weeks in Kildare.[116][117]
On 31 August, the Government of Ireland announced the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in County Kildare with immediate effect.[118][119] A further 53 cases and no deaths were reported, bringing the totals at the end of August to 28,811 cases and 1,777 deaths.[120]
On 15 September, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl announced that the entire government would have to restrict their movements after Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly felt unwell and contacted his GP for a COVID-19 test.[121][122][123] Just after 9pm, it was announced that Donnelly tested negative for COVID-19 and that the government no longer needed to restrict their movements.[124][125]
Also on 15 September, the Government of Ireland announced a medium-term plan for living with COVID-19 that includes five levels of restrictions, with the entire country at Level 2 and specific restrictions in Dublin including the postponement of the reopening of pubs not serving food.[126][127]
| Level | Social and family gatherings | Weddings | Indoor and outdoor events | Sports training, matches and events | Gyms, pools and leisure centres | Religious services | Restaurants, cafés and pubs | Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs | Retail and services | Indoor cultural venues | Domestic travel | Public transport | Schools and childcare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 [128] | Maximum 10 from 3 other households | Maximum 100 people can attend | Indoor: 100/200 depending on venue size; Outdoor: 200/500 depending on venue size | Normal training with protective measures; Matches and events: 100 indoors/200 outdoor/500 stadia | Open with protective measures | 50 people can attend | Open with protective measures | Open with protective measures | Open with protective measures | Open with protective measures | No restrictions | Off-peak hours | Open with protective measures |
| 2 [129] | Maximum 6 from 3 other households | Maximum 50 people can attend | Indoor: 50/100 depending on venue size; Outdoor: 100/200 depending on venue size | Indoor training: pods of 6; Outdoor training: pods of 15; Matches and events: 50 indoors/100 outdoors/200 stadia | Open with protective measures | 50 people can attend | Groups of 6 from up to 3 households | Open with protective measures | Open with protective measures | Open with protective measures | No restrictions | 50% capacity / peak-hours prioritised | Open with protective measures |
| 3 [130] | Maximum 6 from 1 other household | Maximum 25 people can attend | No organised indoor events; Outdoor: gatherings of up to 15 | Indoor training: 1 individual only; Outdoor training: pods of 15 (non-contact); Matches and events: except specific exemptions | Individual training only | Services move online; 25 people can attend funerals | Range of restrictions up to and including no indoor dining | Services limited to residents only | Open with protective measures | Venues closed | Stay in your county | 50% capacity, use only when necessary | Open with protective measures |
| 4 [131] | No visitors | Maximum 6 people can attend | No organised indoor events; Outdoor: gatherings of up to 15 | Indoor training: 1 individual only; Outdoor training: pods of 15 (non-contact); Matches and events: except specific exemptions | Closed | Services move online; 25 people can attend funerals | Outdoor dining (maximum 15 people), takeaway or delivery | Existing guests & essential purposes only | Primarily outdoor essential retail/services | Venues closed | Stay in your county | 25% capacity, avoid public transport | Open with protective measures |
| 5 [132] | No visitors | Maximum 6 people can attend | No organised indoor/outdoor events | Individual traning only & no events | Closed | Services move online; 10 people can attend funerals | Takeaway or delivery only | Essential purposes only | Essential retail only | Venues closed | Stay at home, exercise within 5 km | 25% capacity, avoid public transport | Recommendations based on situation & evidence at time |
On 18 September, following an announcement at Government Buildings, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that Dublin would move to Level 3 restrictions from midnight and would remain in place for three weeks until 9 October.[133][134][135]
On 24 September, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that Donegal would move to Level 3 restrictions from the midnight of 25 September and would remain in place for three weeks until 16 October, with pubs remaining open for takeaway, delivery and outdoor dining to a maximum of 15 people only.[136][137][138]
On 30 September, a further 429 cases and 1 death were reported, bringing the totals at the end of September to 36,155 cases and 1,804 deaths.[139]
On 4 October, in a letter sent to the Government of Ireland, the National Public Health Emergency Team recommended the highest level of restrictions for the entire country – Level 5 for four weeks, following a NPHET meeting chaired by Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan.[140][141][142] On 5 October, the Government rejected NPHET's recommendation to place the entire country under Level 5 restrictions, and instead moved every county in Ireland to Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions with improved enforcement and indoor dining in pubs and restaurants banned, which will come into effect from the midnight of 6 October until 27 October at the earliest.[143][144][145]
On 14 October, the Government of Ireland agreed a nationwide ban on all household visits from the night of Thursday 15 October, except for essential reasons such as childcare and on compassionate grounds.[146][147] Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan would move to Level 4 restrictions from the midnight of 15 October.[148][149][150]
After 1,205 cases—the highest number of confirmed cases recorded in a single day since 10 April—was confirmed by the Department of Health on 15 October,[151] on 16 October, the National Public Health Emergency Team recommended to the Government of Ireland to move the entire country to Level 5 restrictions for six weeks.[152][153][154]
On 19 October, the Government of Ireland agreed to move the entire country to Level 5 lockdown restrictions from midnight on Wednesday 21 October for six weeks until 1 December.[31][155][32]
On 31 October, a further 416 cases and 5 deaths were reported, bringing the totals at the end of October to 61,456 cases and 1,913 deaths.[156]
Third Wave: December 2020–present
On 27 November, the Government of Ireland agreed the approach for easing restrictions, including a phased move to Level 3 restrictions nationally from midnight on Tuesday 1 December, with a number of exceptions in place for the Christmas period from 18 December.[157][158][39]
- From 1 December:[159][160]
- Non-essential retail, hairdressers, gyms, leisure centres, museums, galleries, libraries, cinemas and places of worship will reopen.
- Households should not mix with any other households outside those within their bubble.
- People should stay within their county apart from work, education and other essential purposes.
- Face coverings will be recommended to be worn in crowded workplaces, places of worship and in busy or crowded outdoor spaces where there is significant congregation.
- From 4 December:[161][162]
- Restaurants, cafés, gastropubs and hotel restaurants may reopen for indoor dining with additional restrictions.
- Pubs not serving food will remain closed except for takeaway and delivery.
- From 18 December to 6 January 2021:[163]
- Households can mix with up to two other households.
- Travel outside of your county to be permitted.
On 30 November, a further 306 cases and 1 death were reported, bringing the totals at the end of November to 72,544 cases and 2,053 deaths.[164]
On 1 December, all non-essential retail shops, hair and beauty providers, gyms and leisure centres, cinemas, museums and galleries reopened after six weeks of closure.[165] Meanwhile, the Government of Ireland approved an advance purchase agreement for 875,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna.[166][167][168]
On 4 December, thousands of restaurants, cafés, gastropubs and hotel restaurants reopened after six weeks of closure.[169][170][171]
On 17 December, the National Public Health Emergency Team recommended to the Government of Ireland that the period of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions from 18 December be shortened to the end of the year as COVID-19 cases rise.[172][173][174]
On 21 December, speaking at a COVID-19 press briefing, the Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Philip Nolan announced that a third wave of COVID-19 in Ireland is clearly underway.[175][176][177]
On 22 December, the Government of Ireland agreed to move the entire country to Level 5 lockdown restrictions with a number of adjustments from Christmas Eve until 12 January 2021 at the earliest.[178][179][180]
- Under Level 5 restrictions:[41][42][43]
- Restaurants and gastro-pubs must close at 3pm on 24 December (Christmas Eve).
- Hotels may provide food and bar services to guests only after 3pm on Christmas Eve. Hotels may only open to guests for essential purposes after 26 December.
- Up until 26 December (St Stephen's Day), visits from up to two other households will be permitted. Household visits will be reduced to one other household from 27 December.
- From 1 January, no household mixing will be allowed except for compassionate, care or childcare reasons.
- Non-essential retail will remain open but shops will be requested to defer January sales events.[181]
- No new inter-county travel will be allowed after 26 December.
- Personal services, including hairdressers and barbers must close.
- Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools will remain open for individual training only.
- Schools will return as normal in January after the Christmas break.
- Travel restrictions from the United Kingdom will remain in place until 31 December.[182]
On 23 December, in a statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team, the Chair of the NPHET Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group Cillian de Gascun announced that the new variant of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom is now present in the Republic of Ireland, based on a selection of samples analysed from the weekend.[183][184][185] Two days later on 25 December (Christmas Day), Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan officially confirmed that the new UK variant of COVID-19 had been detected in the Republic of Ireland by whole genome sequencing at the National Virus Reference Laboratory in University College Dublin.[186][187][188]
On 30 December, the Government of Ireland agreed to move the entire country to full Level 5 lockdown restrictions from midnight until 31 January 2021 at the earliest.[189][190][191]
- Under additional Level 5 restrictions:[192][193][194]
- All schools to remain closed after the Christmas break until 11 January 2021. Childcare facilities and crèches to remain open.
- All non-essential retail and services must close from 6pm on 31 December.
- People must stay at home except for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be allowed to exercise within 5km of home.
- Travel restrictions from the United Kingdom to remain in place until 6 January 2021.
On 31 December, a further 1,620 cases and 12 deaths were reported, bringing the end of 2020 totals to 91,779 cases and 2,237 deaths.[195]
On 2 January 2021, it was revealed that there were approximately 9,000 positive COVID-19 tests not yet logged on the HSE's IT systems, due to both limitations in the software; and lack of staff to check and input details, meaning there is an effective ceiling of approximately 1,700 to 2,000 cases that can be logged each day.[196][197]
On 6 January, the Government of Ireland agreed a number of new lockdown measures including the closure of all schools until February with Leaving Certificate students allowed to attend school for three days a week,[198][199] the closure of all non-essential construction sites with certain exceptions at 6pm on 8 January,[200][201] the requirement from 9 January for all passengers from the UK and South Africa to have a negative PCR test that they acquired within 72 hours of travelling[202] and the prohibition of click-and-collect services for non-essential retail.[203][204][205] One day after the announcement, the Government was forced to abandon plans for Leaving Certificate students to attend school on three days a week, and instead students will return to homeschooling along with other students until February, after the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) directed its members not to return to in-school teaching.[206][207][208]
On 7 January, the National Public Health Emergency Team confirmed that the backlog of cases due to a delay in reporting positive laboratory results have been cleared.[209][210][211]
On 8 January, in a statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan confirmed that three cases of the South African variant of COVID-19 had been detected in the Republic of Ireland by whole genome sequencing associated with travel from South Africa.[212][213][214]
On 20 January, the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin was cancelled for a second year.[215][216][217]
On 26 January, the Government of Ireland announced the extension of the Level 5 lockdown restrictions until 5 March, along with a number of new measures including a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for all people travelling into the country without a negative COVID-19 test, including all arrivals from Brazil and South Africa.[218][219][220]
On 26 January, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan confirmed that a further 6 cases of the South African variant of COVID-19 had been detected in the Republic of Ireland.[221]
On 30 January, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan announced that more cases had been confirmed in one month than throughout 2020 with over 1,000 deaths and more than 100,000 cases confirmed in January.[222] On the same day, the Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory Cillian de Gascun stated that there was no significant transmission of the South African COVID-19 variant in Ireland as cases of the variant identified had been contained.[223]
On 31 January, a further 1,247 cases and 15 deaths were reported, bringing the end of January totals to 196,547 cases and 3,307 deaths.[224]
Vaccines
The Government of Ireland approved an advance purchase agreement for 875,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna on 1 December 2020.[225][226][168]
On 15 December, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced the Government's National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, which outlines the country's high-level plan for safe, effective and efficient vaccination of the Republic of Ireland, while safeguarding continued provision of health and social care services.[227][228][229] Three days later on 18 December, the Director-General of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Paul Reid announced that he expects to have hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses by the end of February 2021.[230]
On St Stephen's Day, the first shipment of 10,000 Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Republic of Ireland.[44][45][46]
| Total Vaccines Administered & 2nd Dose | |
Annie Lynch, a 79-year-old woman, became the first person in the Republic of Ireland to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at St. James's Hospital, Dublin on 29 December 2020,[231][47][232] and received the second dose three weeks later on Tuesday, 19th January 2021[233]
Maura Byrne, a 95-year-old woman, became the first nursing home resident in the Republic of Ireland to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on 5 January 2021,[234] while Dr Eavan Muldoon, an infectious diseases consultant, became the first healthcare worker in the Mater University Hospital to receive the vaccine.[235] On the same day, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that up to 135,000 people would be vaccinated nationwide by the end of February 2021.[236]
Following the approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by the European Medicines Agency on 6 January 2021, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar announced that the vaccine would allow 10,000 more people in Ireland to be vaccinated per week.[237][238][239]
The rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in private and voluntary nursing homes began nationwide on 7 January, with 22 nursing homes of 3,000 residents and staff to be vaccinated.[240][241][242]
The first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the Republic of Ireland on 12 January.[243][244]
Around 1,800 healthcare workers received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at three mass vaccination centres that opened in Dublin, Galway and Portlaoise on 16 January.[245][246][247]
On 17 January, the Government requested early deliveries of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as discussions to secure early delivery of the vaccine got underway.[248][249][250] The first shipment of 21,600 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Republic of Ireland on 6 February.[251][252][253]
| Weekly vaccinations figures for December 2020 to January 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 1st Dose | 2nd Dose | Total Vaccinated | Doses per 100 people | Ref. |
| 31 December 2020 | 1,800+ | 0.03 | [254] | ||
| 4 January 2021 | 4,000 | 0.08 | [255] | ||
| 7 January 2021 | 15,314 | 0.31 | [256] | ||
| 13 January 2021 | 77,303 | 1.58 | [257] | ||
| 17 January 2021 | 94,000[lower-roman 1] | 1.89 | [258] | ||
| 20 January 2021 | 121,900[lower-roman 2] | 2.45 | [259] | ||
| 24 January 2021 | 143,000 | 3 | [260] | ||
| 27 January 2021 | 147,700 | 13,800 | 161,500[lower-roman 3] | 3.26 | [261] |
| 31 January 2021 | 150,500 | 49,300 | 199,800 | 4.01 | [262] |
| February 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 1st Dose | 2nd Dose | Total Vaccinated | Doses per 100 people | Ref. |
| 3 February 2021 | 152,200 | 67,000 | 219,200[lower-roman 4] | 4.4 | [263] |
| 5 February 2021 | 151,212 | 79,554 | 230,776 | 4.63 | [264] |
| 6 February 2021 | 152,652 | 84,344 | 236,996 | 4.76 | [1] |
Testing
The developing and delivering of testing of Ireland was led by the staff in the National Virus Reference Laboratory. With the acquisition of the sequence of the virus, they used this to develop and validate in-house assays in advance of obtaining any commercial diagnostic kits. The NVRL played a vital role in the early detection of COVID-19 cases in Ireland.[265]
The military response to the pandemic, which included provision of naval vessels to support onshore testing in Irish cities, was known as Operation Fortitude and initially involved such ships as LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ George Bernard Shaw and LÉ Niamh (Dublin), LÉ Eithne (Cork), and LÉ William Butler Yeats (Galway).[266] On 15 May, the Naval Service completed its mission and—having been involved in 6,000 tests—transferred its duties to the Army (also under Operation Fortitude); the Army had begun work at the Aviva Stadium the previous day (while ships such as the LÉ William Butler Yeats—by this time based in Dublin—returned to sea, the LÉ Eithne stayed in the city of Cork for purposes of storage and logistics, not testing).[267]
Many Gaelic games stadiums were repurposed as drive-through COVID-19 testing centres. These included Croke Park in Dublin;[268] Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork;[269] Nowlan Park in Kilkenny;[270] Gaelic Grounds in Limerick;[271] MacHale Park in Castlebar;[272] Breffni Park in Cavan;[273] Tinryland GFC's facilities south of Carlow (later shut due to lack of demand);[274][275][276] and O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny.[277]
Among the other drive-through testing centres set up: St Vincent's in Athlone;[278] the Lakeside Centre in Ballyshannon;[279] Castlebar Leisure Complex in County Mayo;[280] St Loman's Hospital in Mullingar;[281] the Clarion Road in Sligo;[282] Tallaght Stadium (the home ground of Shamrock Rovers Football Club) in Tallaght;[283][284][285] a prefabricated HSE-owned building in Waterford near Cherrymount in Ballytruckle, which had been used by St Martin's Special School;[286] the Whitemill Industrial Estate in Wexford.[287]
Former testing sites which were later replaced by the local stadiums mentioned above include Ballyhaise Health Centre in Cavan[273] and the disused St Conal's Hospital in Letterkenny.[288][289]
Centres ranging from the counties of Cork (in the south)[290][291] and Donegal (in the north)[279][292][293] were shut at various times due to lack of testing kits.
Problems with testing kit availability and the global shortage in one of three reagents necessary to complete testing for the virus (namely that used in the second stage, extraction) became pronounced. New equipment was brought into the country from overseas. Two additional laboratories began testing for the virus in mid-April: the Enfer facility in Sallins, County Kildare, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's laboratory in Backweston. On 10 April, the HSE and the UCD-based National Virus Reference Laboratory announced a contract for enough reagent to complete 900,000 tests, though Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory Cillian de Gascun said it was not the reagent that was used in the third stage of testing and thus, already amply supplied. The materials, supplied by Genomics Medicine Ireland Limited (GMI), went to the Enfer laboratory. De Gascun also asserted at the same time as this announcement that he had "misspoken" the previous month if he had said tests would be increased by thousands "within days".[294] Scientists based in a laboratory in Sligo began making two types of reagent for COVID-19 testing carried out in the northwest of the country.[295]
| Total tests completed | |
| Testing positivity rate % (last 7 days) | |
After employees complained that the HSE were informing their employers of their results first and many people were first informed of their test outcome by their employer, the HSE said on 19 May that it would stop doing this.[296][297]
As of 23 March, around 40,000 people were waiting to be tested and the average wait time was 4 to 5 days. Minister for Health Simon Harris said that priority testing of only healthcare workers might have to be implemented.[298]
On 25 March—to prioritise testing of healthcare workers—the threshold for requesting a COVID-19 test was narrowed. From then a person requesting a COVID-19 test had to: (i) be a healthcare worker; or (ii) present with a fever AND at least one other COVID-19 symptom.[299]
From 28 April, testing criteria for the virus was broadened again to include anyone with one of the symptoms of fever, recent onset of cough or shortness of breath.[300]
Results of a seroprevalence study, announced in July, conducted in counties Dublin and Sligo showed that about 1.7% of the population had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 with broadly similar infection rates between males and females and across different age groups.[301][302] Results announced in October indicated that 18% of healthcare staff that volunteered to participate in a study at a large Dublin hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, showed antibody evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. This revealed a much higher seroprevalence in healthcare staff than in the general population.[303]
| Weekly testing figures for 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Tests carried out | Positivity rate % | Ref. | |
| 9 March 2020 | 1,784 | - | [304] | |
| 17 March 2020 | 6,636 | - | [305] | |
| 21 March 2020 | 10,000+ | - | [306] | |
| 23 March 2020 | 17,992 | - | [307] | |
| 30 March 2020 | 30,213 | 16.3% | [308][309] | |
| 6 April 2020 | 42,484 | 19% | [310] | |
| 9 April 2020 | 53,000 | 17% | [311][309] | |
| 13 April 2020 | 90,646 | 16% | [312][309] | |
| 20 April 2020 | 111,584 | 19% | [313] | |
| 27 April 2020 | 153,054 | 12.9% | [314] | |
| 2 May 2020 | 188,837 | 5.8% | [315][309] | |
| 4 May 2020 | 214,761 | 3.7% | [316] | |
| 11 May 2020 | 258,808 | 3.3% | [317] | |
| 18 May 2020 | 295,626 | 2.5% | [318] | |
| 24 May 2020 | 310,000 | 2% | [319] | |
| 25 May 2020 | 325,795 | 2.1% | [320] | |
| 1 June 2020 | 348,416 | 1.7% | [321] | |
| 8 June 2020 | 367,780 | 1% | [322] | |
| 14 June 2020 | 386,572 | 0.8% | [323] | |
| 19 June 2020 | 396,584 | 0.6% | [309] | |
| 22 June 2020 | 404,989 | 0.5% | [324] | |
| 28 June 2020 | 429,698 | 0.46% | [309] | |
| 6 July 2020 | 473,974 | 0.24% | [309][325] | |
| 13 July 2020 | 523,277 | 0.32% | [326][325] | |
| 20 July 2020 | 574,487 | 0.27% | [327][325] | |
| 27 July 2020 | 619,875 | 0.32% | [309][325] | |
| 3 August 2020 | 644,227 | 1.31% | [309][328] | |
| 10 August 2020 | 670,771 | 1.68% | [309][329] | |
| 17 August 2020 | 725,574 | 1.30% | [309][329] | |
| 24 August 2020 | 777,635 | 1.40% | [309][329] | |
| 31 August 2020 | 839,814 | 1.23% | [309][329] | |
| 7 September 2020 | 906,432 | 1.57% | [309][330] | |
| 14 September 2020 | 981,286 | 1.80% | [309] | |
| 21 September 2020 | 1,067,365 | 2.28% | [309][331] | |
| 28 September 2020 | 1,155,064 | 2.86% | [309][332] | |
| 5 October 2020 | 1,245,263 | 3.58% | [309][333] | |
| 12 October 2020 | 1,341,474 | 5.49% | [309][334] | |
| 19 October 2020 | 1,453,608 | 7.2% | [309] | |
| 26 October 2020 | 1,538,215 | 5.9% | [309] | |
| 2 November 2020 | 1,656,911 | 4.8% | [309] | |
| 9 November 2020 | 1,735,319 | 3.9% | [309] | |
| 16 November 2020 | 1,811,270 | 3.8% | [309] | |
| 23 November 2020 | 1,889,089 | 3% | [309] | |
| 30 November 2020 | 1,964,711 | 2.7% | [309] | |
| 7 December 2020 | 2,040,826 | 2.5% | [309] | |
| 14 December 2020 | 2,122,513 | 2.6% | [309] | |
| 21 December 2020 | 2,213,757 | 4.6% | [309] | |
| 28 December 2020 | 2,316,611 | 7.2% | [309] | |
| Weekly testing figures for January 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Tests carried out | Positivity rate % | Ref. | |
| 4 January 2021 | 2,472,132 | 20.1% | [309] | |
| 11 January 2021 | 2,645,957 | 20% | [309] | |
| 18 January 2021 | 2,810,557 | 13.5% | [309] | |
| 25 January 2021 | 2,957,011 | 9.2% | [309] | |
| February 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Tests carried out | Positivity rate % | Ref. | |
| 1 February 2021 | 3,094,222 | 6.6% | [309] | |
| 8 February 2021 | 3,218,390 | 5.9% | [309] | |
Impacts
Economic
Like most countries in the world, the pandemic's emergence and the lockdowns it led to deeply impacted the Irish economy, causing it to plunge into a recession. While there were job losses in all sectors primarily due to stay-at-home orders, individuals working in tourism, hospitality, food and retail were most likely to be affected.
A COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and a Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme were set up.
Social
The social impact of the pandemic had far-reaching consequences in the country that went beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to quarantine it, including political, religious, educational, artistic and sporting.
The 2020 Leaving Certificate, Junior Certificate and all 2020 Irish language summer courses in the Gaeltacht were cancelled.[335][336][337] The 2020 Dublin Horse Show was cancelled, the first time since 1940 that the event did not occur.[338] The Tidy Towns competition was cancelled for the first time in its 62-year history.[339] The Rose of Tralee was cancelled for the first time in its 61-year history. The 2020 National Ploughing Championships and Ballinasloe Horse Fair also went. The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship were completed in December in between the second and third waves of the virus to hit Ireland, maintaining their record of having been held annually since 1887.
Gallery
Shop door showing social distancing measures.
Irish butcher implementing ad hoc social distancing measures.
Supermarket: a one-way system, instructions on social distancing, disposable gloves, trolley cleaning supplies.
Temporary protection for employees deployed in a grocery store during the pandemic.
Pharmacy where the door has been replaced with a hatch for exchanging goods.
People queueing at an Irish supermarket; strips of black tape on the ground to demarcate 2-metre gaps.
A grandson visits his grandmother who is "cocooning" in her home.
Two-metre marking for visitors to Bram Stoker Park in Marino, Dublin.
An Irish paramedic en route to a so-called "query case" during the pandemic in Ireland.
Two pints of the famed Irish stout Guinness delivered fresh from a pub. The delivery service of pints was a novel innovation of the pandemic in Ireland. An Garda Síochána—upon taking legal advice—confirmed that there was no law against the service.[340][341]
Iarnród Éireann social distancing sign on a train in July 2020.
Social distancing floor signs in an Irish supermarket in August 2020.
A principal and vice-principal greet returning students on the first day of school.
Bus Éireann social distancing signs on a bus in October 2020.
Floor physical distancing sign in an Irish store, amidst Christmas merchandise, in October 2020.
Santa conducts an outdoor visit to a housing estate in Maynooth, December 2020
Prevented from attending a funeral, mourners line the main street of Maynooth to pay their respects to the departed, December 2020.
A mother homeschools her child while simultaneously working from home in January 2021.
See also
- 2020 in Ireland
- 2021 in Ireland
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
- COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory
- Michael Ryan, Irish epidemiologist and Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme
Notes
- 71,000 doses administered to frontline healthcare workers and a further 23,000 in long-term residential facilities.
- 73,100 doses administered to frontline healthcare workers and a further 48,800 in long-term residential facilities.
- 89,900 doses administered to frontline healthcare workers and a further 71,600 in long-term residential facilities.
- 133,000 doses administered to frontline healthcare workers and a further 86,200 in long-term residential facilities.
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Further reading
- McCarthy, Justin (22 March 2020). "Retired GP joins battle against COVID-19: 'I want to come back and help people' " RTÉ News and Current Affairs.
- Fegan, Catherine (24 March 2020). " 'Stay indoors, I'm young, sporty and fit, I never would have thought I'd catch coronavirus' " Irish Independent.
- Leahy, Pat (28 March 2020). "Inside the Government's battle against coronavirus: Working under unparalleled pressure, Irish officials are facing the crisis with trepidation" The Irish Times.
- Power, Jack (4 April 2020). "Covid-19: Inside the operation to evacuate Irish stranded abroad – From Peru and Australia: Behind the scenes story of how diplomats got the Irish home" The Irish Times.
- Bray, Jennifer; Leahy, Pat (9 April 2020). "The inside story of how gardaí were granted their new powers: Taoiseach was reluctant to grant new powers, but Kehoe, Madigan and Flanagan were in favour" The Irish Times.
- McGrath, Dominic (16 April 2020). "Tracked: How the HSE advice to nursing homes shifted between March and April" TheJournal.ie.
- McGee, Harry (8 January 2021). "Covid-19: The inside story of how the contact tracing system averted a Christmas collapse" The Irish Times.
External links
- Ireland's COVID-19 Data Hub
- COVID-19 updates from the Health Service Executive (HSE)