Level 5

Last updated on 28 January 2021

All measures in Level 5 will stay in place until at least March 5 2021.

Your guide to the new changes

Activity	Guidance
Schools	Schools are currently closed for all students with remote learning in place
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)	The resumption of the ECCE programme is delayed until 5 March
Childcare	Open for vulnerable children and children of essential workers
Construction	Construction will close from 6pm on Friday 8 Jan, with limited exceptions
Retail	Essential retail only. Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets will no longer be permitted after existing orders are fulfilled. Click and deliver will continue
Travel into Ireland	See the new measures on international travel.

At Level 5, the public health risk means that you will be asked to stay at home, except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, or to take exercise within 5km of home. There will be no gatherings other than small numbers at funerals and weddings.

Schools and higher and adult education

Schools are currently closed for all students with remote learning in place.

Schools

Schools are currently closed for all students with remote learning in place.

Youthreach services will resume as scheduled.

The resumption of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is delayed until 5 March.

Higher and adult education

Higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online.

Childcare

Childcare services are open for vulnerable children and children of essential workers. Essential workers who are eligible to access childcare services include those who are working from home.

Other existing childcare arrangements can continue to operate for vulnerable children and children of essential workers only.

In addition, a household of an essential worker, without an existing childcare arrangement, can form a bubble with another household for the purpose of providing childcare.

Construction

Construction will close from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with limited exceptions including:

essential health and related projects including those relevant to preventing, limiting, minimising or slowing the spread of COVID-19
social housing projects, including voids, designated as essential sites by Local Authorities based on set criteria
housing adaptation grants where the homeowner is agreeable to adaptions being undertaken in their home
repair, maintenance and construction of critical transport and utility infrastructure
education facilities sites designated as essential by Department of Education
supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, oil, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis
certain large construction projects in the exporting / FDI sector based on set criteria
in relation to private homes that are practically complete and scheduled for habitation by 31 January 2021, including where snagging, and essential remediation work, such as pyrite works is nearing completion, works should continue to enable homeowners access their homes. Heating, water, broadband and electricity installation should also continue to enable homes be occupied.
existing tenancy protections mean that a tenant cannot be evicted from their home during the period of the 5km travel restrictions. To enable a limited functioning of the housing and residential tenancy market during this time it has also been agreed that online viewings will be the default approach to viewing property for rental or sale, with a physical viewing only permissible at the point where a tenancy agreement is being entered into or where a contract for sale has been drawn up. This approach balances the need to avoid social interaction with the need to provide a pathway to tenancy and home ownership for those who need it.

Retail and services (for example: hairdressers, beauticians, barbers)

Face coverings must be worn.

All retail is closed except for essential retail.

All non-essential services are closed.

See the list of essential services at Level 5.

Click and collect

Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets should be discontinued with immediate effect.

Existing orders may be collected.

Click and deliver will continue to be permitted.

Social and family gatherings

In your home or garden

No visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.

Other settings outside your home or garden

No social or family gatherings should take place in other settings.

Weddings

Up to 6 guests are permitted.

Organised indoor gatherings

These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager.

For example: business, training events, conferences, events in theatres and cinemas or other arts events (excluding sport).

No organised indoor gatherings should take place.

Organised outdoor gatherings

These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor arts events, training events.

No organised outdoor gatherings should take place.

Exercise and sporting events

Training

People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise.

No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.

Outdoor golf and tennis are not permitted.

Individual training only. No exercise or dance classes. No indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for professional and elite sports.

Matches and events

Professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events only are permitted to continue behind closed doors.

No other matches or events are to take place.

Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools

Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools are closed.

Religious services

Services will be held online.

Places of worship remain open for private prayer.

Attendance at funerals (limited to 10)

Priority has to be given to families themselves in attending funerals, whether this is in the homes of the deceased or in the Funeral Home.

Likewise attendance in churches and graveyards is restricted to families.

In this third wave we now sadly see a significant increase in the numbers of funerals. Concerns are being raised regarding the dangers of dropping our guard at funerals when we are at this critical time in trying to level off the deadly curve. Reports of significant numbers of people congregating in homes of bereaved persons and in funeral homes, or at churches and graveyards before or after services, are very concerning.

The inclement weather we have at this time of year can result in those lining funeral routes at times congregating in doorways of churches and other areas along the route to seek shelter. Every contact increases the risk of transmission of this highly contagious virus. Those wishing to express their condolence should do so through social media, online websites, text or card.

It is vital, despite our natural emotions and desire to be close to and hug other people, to respect the situation we find ourselves in as we try to convey our sympathies to bereaved families. It is important to remember our objective – to reduce the spread of the virus – and that we should all do what is right, even if it is different and difficult.

Museums, galleries and other cultural attractions

All venues closed.

Online services available.

Bars, cafes and restaurants (including hotel restaurants and bars)

Take away food and delivery only.

Wet pubs

Closed.

Nightclubs, discos, casinos

Nightclubs, discos and casinos will remain closed.

Hotels and accommodation

Open only for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.

Work

Work from home unless essential for work, which is an essential health, social care or other essential service and cannot be done from home.

Travel restrictions

Domestic

People are required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5km of home.

You can travel for the following reasons:

travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service
teachers, SNAs and other school staff will be allowed to travel to school to facilitate distance learning
to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
travel to attend disability day services
travel to attend a court
for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
for food shopping
for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
to attend a wedding or funeral
to visit a grave

International

All passengers arriving into Ireland (except those arriving from Northern Ireland) are required to have a negative/‘not detected’ result from a pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test carried out no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.

Passengers will be asked to present evidence of their negative/‘not detected’ result before boarding their airplane or ferry, and will be required to produce this evidence to Immigration Officers on arrival at points of entry to the State.

Passengers who arrive in an Irish Airport or Sea Port without evidence of a negative/‘not detected’ test result commit an offence and may be subject to prosecution, punishable by a fine not exceeding €2,500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.

International Transport Workers, including workers in aviation, maritime and road haulage sectors are exempt from this requirement where they are travelling in the course of performing their duties.

Children aged 6 and under are also exempt from the testing requirement, although they are advised to restrict movements for 14 days.

Passengers who arrive in Ireland solely for the purpose of travelling onwards to another state and do not leave the airport are also not required to provide evidence of a test.

If a citizen has a genuine humanitarian emergency requiring urgent travel, they should contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate immediately for advice and consular assistance before commencing their journey.

See further information on travelling to Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks

Open with protective measures in place.

Transport