A critical moment for the county.

The government has introduced additional restrictions for Dublin to suppress the spread of Covid-19. Speaking at a press conference at Dublin Castle this morning while announcing Ireland's medium-term plan for living alongside the virus, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that protecting public health "remains a priority." "I understand people feel exhausted thinking about it and coping with its impact," he said. "We're not yet able to make Covid-19 part of our past, but we have a lot more clarity about how to get to that point." The government's medium term plan for living with Covid, which covers living alongside the virus for the next six months, includes a five tier risk-ranking system and corresponding restriction levels from one to five. Level one includes minimal restrictions and level five includes a total lockdown similar to that experienced at the beginning of April. The full plan can be accessed here.  here.  Currently, the entire country is at level two, however special measures will be introduced for Dublin to address the rising number of cases in the capital. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar confirmed the increased restrictions for Dublin this morning. He asked the public to follow the Four Ws to suppress the virus. These include:

• Not welcoming more than one other household into your home, or when socialising outdoors
• Washing your hands
• Watching your distance
• Wearing a face mask

Pubs will also not be reopening in Dublin on September 21 as originally suggested. The government has also confirmed that sporting events will be permitted to have 200 spectators from tomorrow. Travel measures will remain the same. Taoiseach Martin added that until a vaccine is available, the country must work together to achieve a level one tier. "When the vaccine is available, we will move quickly," said Martin. "I want people to understand before then, that we can go much further in opening up economic, social and cultural life. "We can do this if we work together." This comes after early reports that Dublin's "wet pubs" would not be reopening as planned.  All pubs not serving food were expected to reopen on September 21, however the rising number of cases in Dublin has yet again pushed back a reopening date. Wet pubs in the rest of the country are expected to reopen as normal. There were 208 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the country yesterday, and no new deaths.