The hospitality sector is expected to be told to close from December 30th.
The Government is likely to accept NPHET advice to close restaurants and pubs that serve food.
Visits to homes will also be restricted to one other household from the 30th.
However, it is expected people will be allowed to travel between counties until January 6th as originally planned.
Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to make a final decision on the new restrictions.
It was revealed yesterday that NPHET was recommending that gastropubs and restaurants close after Christmas from December 28th.
Representatives from the hospitality trade said the news of a further lockdown was a shock for employees and a slap in the face for those in the industry.
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“I’m devastated. I couldn’t sleep last night. We still owe Revenue from before the first lockdown and with rent due on all three premises, I don’t know where to go from here.” Galway chef JP McMahon’s comment reflects to mood of a significant proportion of the Irish restaurant industry, now looking at the probability of Covid-19 restrictions being reintroduced at the end of the month.
If restaurants and pubs that serve food are forced to close for indoor dining again after Christmas, McMahon believes it could be a death knell for the industry. “This decision will cause further untold damage,” he says.
He has called on the government to make a decision today as restaurants need to know what to do with their supply. The government are due to make a decision on Tuesday in a cabinet meeting.
“It’s not at all the Christmas present we were looking for. We were devastated to hear the news that came in that restrictions would be imposed on our industry,” Mr McGowan said.
“We are very much a highly regulated, controlled environment. The facts are there that this is being contracted in houses throughout the country and as a highly regulated environment, we are able to control this a bit better.
Proposals to restrict the hospitality industry to takeaway services only from late December would have a âdevastatingâ impact, the head of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has said.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) advised the Government on Thursday to implement additional restrictions soon after Christmas in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. The reduced restrictions in the current phase were due to remain in place until January 6th.
While no decision has been made yet, 28th December has been floated by officials as a possible date to reintroduce restrictions on restaurants and pubs that serve food.
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The Department of Tourism has confirmed to the Irish Mirror that every eatery in the country must have their houses cleared by 11:30pm
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