“This simply isn’t the appropriate time right now to open pubs."

Pubs not serving food won't be reopening next week. Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said at last night's Department of Health briefing that Ireland's current Covid-19 situation would not allow for the reopening of pubs not offering patrons a substantial meal. Some 3,500 businesses have remained shut since March. There is currently no new date for the potential reopening of pubs. Dr Glynn said that the National Public Health Emergency (NPHET) considered yesterday whether pubs could reopen on August 31 as discussed, but that this “simply isn’t the appropriate time right now to open." "They felt that we really weren’t in a position to reopen the pubs at this point," he said. "We will keep the reopening of pubs along with other measures that might need to be eased over the coming weeks." This comes as a recent survey from the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) showed that 60 percent of pubs were considering shutting their doors for good. Following the introduction of new public health measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 last week, including limiting household gatherings to six people, most in the pub industry believe the reopening of pubs will be delayed for a third time. 96 percent of those surveyed believe that the government has no plan that will allow pubs that don’t serve food to reopen while the Covid-19 crisis persists. Furthermore, 91 percent of publicans have not been satisfied with the government’s response to the crisis and 92 percent believe pubs have been scapegoated. Six out of 10 publicans said they are considering closing their businesses for good, 40 percent said they are worried about being able to put food on the table, while 57 percent are worried about the future of their employees. There were 93 new cases of Covid-19 reported yesterday, and no new deaths.