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September 15, 2020
The entire Irish government is now in precautionary isolation due to the suspected coronavirus infection of Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, who felt unwell after a cabinet meeting.
The minister has turned to his doctor and is awaiting the test results.
In the meantime, the single-chamber Parliament of Dublin has first updated the work until further notice, only to be reconvened.
According to the BBC, the undersecretaries will for the time being respond to a planned interpellation session of deputies.
According to Irish public television, the decision to isolate the entire cabinet was made on the basis of the recommendation of the acting Chief Medical Officer of Ireland, Ronan Glynn. Donnelly had attended a press conference today together with Prime Minister Micheal Martin and Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to illustrate a new 5-point plan for managing this phase of the Covid emergency after the new rebound of cases also recorded in some areas of the Republic - in particularly in Dublin - starting in August. The plan confirms the reopening of the pubs from 21 September on the island, but without the possibility of serving food and not in the capital where they will remain closed. While it mimics the restriction announced by neighboring Britain on the reintroduction of a limit on social and family contacts in Dublin to no more than 6 people. All against the backdrop of a scenario designed to try to "live with the virus in the next six months" by limiting its spread, as Martin said. The plan, destined to be subjected to a debate by the Dáil, the Irish Parliament, also provides for Dublin's accession to the EU guidelines on travel precautions that the Brussels Commission is preparing to indicate. While it sets a ceiling of 200 spectators admitted at most to the country's facilities on a capacity of 5000 seats for the sporting events of the coming months.