Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has announced that Irish pubs in Ireland, initially scheduled to reopen on August 10, will now be allowed to reopen on July 20. This is excellent news, marking a relaxation of the government’s reopening plan… and hinting at when the country might welcome travelers again!
Ireland Has Managed to Flatten the Coronavirus Curve
Accelerating Its Reopening Plan
Although coronavirus is still present in Ireland, it appears to be slowing down: the number of new cases is decreasing daily, and intensive care units are no longer under the strain seen in the early days.
Even better: the country has experienced days with no COVID-19 related deaths—encouraging signs that highlight the effectiveness of Ireland’s lockdown and reopening strategy.
That said, Ireland has been one of the strictest countries worldwide regarding health restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. While most European countries are considering reopening their borders from June 15, Ireland seems to be sticking to its multi-month plan and has remained silent about restarting tourism.
However, the country is already showing signs of compromise: this Friday, Leo Varadkar announced that the reopening plan, originally consisting of five phases, will now have only four.
The 5th phase, which mainly concerned reopening Irish pubs on August 10, has been removed and moved up to July 20, the date of phase 4.
The Taoiseach justified this decision by explaining that coronavirus is close to being under control in Ireland. Given such progress, the Prime Minister deemed it unnecessary to delay the reopening of Irish pubs until August.
What’s Planned for July 20
The Irish government is steadily continuing its reopening plan with more flexibility. Moving the date to July 20 is a major step forward for the country, meaning that:
- all business sectors will be able to operate again by this date
- travel restrictions, including distance limits, will be lifted
- public places, including tourist sites, will be able to welcome visitors again
In short: the country is expected to reopen three weeks earlier than initially planned. Although the Prime Minister has not explicitly addressed restarting tourism for European travelers, all signs point to the possibility of organizing trips to Ireland from that date.
If indicators remain positive by then, the Emerald Isle should be able to reopen its doors to travelers without imposing quarantine measures (which are currently in effect).
It therefore seems possible to travel to Ireland starting July 20. This information should be taken cautiously (as it is not yet official) but is supported by health and tourism experts.
This is excellent news that should allow Europeans to visit Ireland and enjoy the country’s wild beauty!
Summer might not be lost for everyone after all!
