The Cabinet has approved to make mask wearing mandatory for pupils from third class throughout the country as part of Covid fight. The advice has come into effect from today and will be reviewed by mid of February 2022, the government said.
The Cabinet has also approved mask wearing for children aged nine years and above on public transport, in retail and other indoor public settings. Currently this requirement is only for those aged 13 and above.
The meeting last night has approved a number of other measures also to tackle the Covid crisis the country faces.
Parents are being asked to prioritise their children’s activities – minimising indoor community gatherings and indoor mixed household gatherings; reducing the risk of exposure to the virus by opting for outdoor activities instead of indoor; and reducing the number of children involved in any particular activity.
From December 3rd midnight onwards, anyone entering the country from overseas should produce a certified ‘negative/not detected’ test result (that is, not self-administered), from an antigen test taken no more than 48 hours before arrival or a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. It applies to those who are vaccinated too. It is envisaged that current exemptions from testing (for example: children aged 11 and under) would continue to apply, in line with existing regulations.
Air and sea carriers will be required to carry out pre-boarding checks for compliance, supplemented by BMU/GNIB spot-checks on arrivals at ports and airports.
This measure will apply for a minimum period of two weeks, and kept under review with a view to removal as soon as possible thereafter taking account of the overall epidemiological situation.
The government has agreed that the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021 will be initiated in the Dáil or the Seanad upon finalisation of the text.
It is also advised to use an antigen test twice a week if you are regularly in high-risk environments and you have no symptoms. Other public health measures such as mask wearing, hand sanitization, washing hands and social distancing must be followed as same as before.