Pubs and restaurants have called for the opportunity to open late tonight and trade normally with no restrictions, for the first time in close to 23 months.
Nphet have advised government that all restrictions on hospitality businesses, including the use of Covid certs to gain entry, can be lifted when the government desires.
The Restaurants’ Association of Ireland (RAI) have said “today is the day” to open up fully and said businesses want the opportunity to trade normally as soon as possible.
“Nphet advice is to lift restrictions – we’ve heard over the last two years that she should also follow public health advice and that advice is now to lift restrictions with immediate effect if the government wishes. So, we’re saying to the government now, lift the 8pm ban on businesses. – that’s a very easy thing to do to return to normal hours,” Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the RAI said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“For those businesses that are ready to operationalise and trade until normal trading hours tonight, they can do so. There will be some businesses that may not have the stock and they will get themselves ready as quickly as possible. Give the opportunity to those businesses to trade until normal hours tonight.
“Today is a good day for hospitality. We’re nearly two years into this and Nphet has decided it’s now safe to allow the country to begin to reopen. It’s up to government now to say when and we believe today is the day,” Mr Cummins said.
Among Nphet’s advice was the go-ahead to remove the use of Covid certs in domestic settings such as cinemas, pubs and restaurants. Restaurants and pubs will welcome the end of their use but will also be ready to use them in future if needed.
Mr Cummins said some people will exercise caution around Covid regardless of what government decides to do and said businesses will be prepared to reinstate the Covid cert should they need to do so, in the event of another variant.
News via RTE