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08th Sep 2020

All pubs set to reopen from September 21, Cabinet agrees

Jade Hayden

A new plan is set to be published next week.

All pubs, including those not serving food, will be permitted to open from September 21, the Cabinet has agreed.

According to RTÉ News, draft government guidelines were drawn up with Fáilte Ireland and circulated to the vintners’ groups last week.

These so-called “wet pubs” will likely follow similar restrictions to the businesses already operating. These include allocated time slots, physical distancing, table service, and customer records for contact tracing purposes.

The reopening of all pubs will depend on local restrictions in place.

The Cabinet also met this morning to discuss international travel restrictions and sporting events as part of their upcoming Living With Covid-19 plan.

The details of the plan are expected to be published next Monday.

This comes after news that 60% of Irish pubs were considering closing their doors for good.

A survey by the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said that the government is losing the support of the pub sector, with many publicans considering shutting their doors for goo due to the pandemic.

63% of the publicans whose pubs are still closed said they were suffering from extreme stress, while 40% said they were worried about being able to put food on the table.

Topics:

Covid-19,news