{"id":94162,"date":"2020-10-21T13:10:02","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T10:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ireland-steeled-for-start-of-second-virus-lockdown\/"},"modified":"2020-10-21T13:10:02","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T10:10:02","slug":"ireland-steeled-for-start-of-second-virus-lockdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ireland-steeled-for-start-of-second-virus-lockdown\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ireland steeled for start of second virus lockdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Ireland steeled for start of second virus lockdown<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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Ireland on Wednesday braced for the start of a second nationwide coronavirus lockdown, with fears the new six-week hiatus will deal a heavier blow than the last one.\n <\/p>\n

“It’s devastating to see us locked down again … during our busiest line-up for the Christmas period,” antique jeweller John Farrington told AFP on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

“There’s a lot of people out there with this second shutdown (who) will really, really find it hard to come through.”<\/p>\n

Starting Thursday non-essential businesses like Farrington’s store in central Dublin\u2014glimmering with vintage trinkets\u2014will be forced to shut up shop.<\/p>\n

All citizens will be asked to remain at home, with a strict five kilometre (three mile) travel<\/a> limit, as Ireland becomes the first EU nation to return to full lockdown.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile bars and restaurants will be limited to takeaway service only and a ban on visits between households has also been extended.<\/p>\n

Prime minister Micheal Martin announced the fresh measures on Monday night, but unlike the previous lockdown in March pledged to keep schools open.<\/p>\n

“If we pull hard together over the next six weeks, we will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in a meaningful way,” he said in a national address to the country of five million.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday and Wednesday the Irish capital was a hive of activity as the death toll from the virus reached 1,865.<\/p>\n

‘Halloween is like our Christmas’<\/b><\/p>\n

Shay Howlin’s “Fun Place” joke and costume shop did a roaring trade on Tuesday as customers prepared to celebrate Halloween in lockdown.<\/p>\n

Inside, two staff dwarfed by shelves of horror-movie masks frantically fielded requests for werewolf claws, ninja swords and power-ranger outfits.<\/p>\n

“Halloween is like our Christmas,” Howlin explained. “So we’re closed for the ten busiest days of Halloween.”<\/p>\n

He said he is “devastated” by the new lockdown which he feels is “totally unneccessary”. <\/p>\n

“I was hoping that maybe common sense would prevail because from our point of view we feel retail’s a very safe environment,” he said.<\/p>\n

Ireland’s unemployment rate reached a record level of 28.2 percent during the previous lockdown.<\/p>\n

This time around, the coalition government has increased “pandemic unemployment payment” supports and a wage subsidy scheme designed to keep employers linked to staff.<\/p>\n

Last week the Republic unveiled a record 17.75 billion euro budget to fund emergency virus measures.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile on Wednesday, RTE reported the Irish cabinet had green-lit stiff penalties for those breaching the new lockdown.<\/p>\n

The state broadcaster said cabinet agreed to bring forward legislation allowing on-the-spot fines of up to 500 euros ($590) for breaching restrictions and up to 1,000 euros for hosting house parties.\n <\/p>\n\n

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Follow the latest news<\/a> on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \u00a9 2020 AFP<\/p>\n

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\n Ireland steeled for start of second virus lockdown (2020, October 21)
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