Ireland and Wales fall back into containment

This is the scenario that the French government says it absolutely wants to avoid.

This justifies the multiplication of gradual restrictions, decided in recent weeks to try to bend the epidemic curves.

Ireland and Wales have decided to reconfigure their populations to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

They thus become the first two European territories to take such a heavy decision.

Wales will be subject to a two-week lockdown from Friday, the hardest measure in the UK since the first wave of Covid-19 in the spring.

From 6 pm, the more than three million inhabitants of this British province will be called upon to "stay at home", explained Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford, adding that the duration of this "firewall" is the shorter that can be introduced to be effective.

Six weeks in Ireland

Non-essential businesses will have to close, leading to a situation comparable to the lockdown introduced in the United Kingdom from March 23 at the time of the first wave.

In Ireland the decisions are stricter.

The re-containment will take effect Wednesday at midnight local time for six weeks, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said.

in a televised address, while stressing that schools would remain open.

All non-essential businesses will have to close, bars and restaurants will only be able to serve take-out food, the head of government said.

“We ask everyone in the country to stay at home,” he adds.

Only people with essential jobs will be "allowed to travel to work," he said.

The Irish will also only be able to leave their homes to exercise within a three-mile radius of their place of residence, under penalty of fines.

Measures "arguably the strictest in Europe"

The Prime Minister justified these various measures.

Schools and nurseries were to remain open "because we cannot afford, and will not allow, that the future of our children and young people be another victim of this disease".

Visits between different homes and indoor events will be banned, although professional sport will be allowed behind closed doors.

The Prime Minister admitted that the Irish measures were "arguably the strictest in Europe", but "further action is needed now".

“If we come together for the next six weeks, we will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas properly,” he said.

Newsletter - Most of the news

Every morning, the news seen by Le Parisien

I'm registering

Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.

Learn more

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed at least 1,852 lives in Ireland, according to the latest official figures.

After a peak of 77 deaths per day in April, the number of daily deaths has fallen to less than ten.

None were reported for Monday.

But like many other countries in Europe, Ireland is facing a surge in contaminations, with 1,031 new cases confirmed on Monday.