The 'Living with Covid' plan - from sports and household gatherings allowed at Level 1 to a return to lockdown at Level 5

The Government is finalising its medium-term plan for living with Covid-19.

It will include five levels of measures to respond to increases or decreases in the level of infection.

The basic Covid-19 prevention measures, like hand-washing, face coverings, cough and sneeze etiquette, and social distancing, will apply throughout all levels of the plan.

The Government is seeking to strike a balance between keeping schools open and allowing businesses to operate and people to return to work.

How serious the restrictions are will depend on the rate of spread of the virus and what pressure the health system is under.

Ministers are still considering the detail of the plan but here’s what is known about the five levels:

Level 1

This is the lowest risk level in the Government’s plan and will apply when the number of cases of the disease is lower than Ireland is currently experiencing.

There will still be restrictions on home visits, with no more than 10 visitors allowed from three different households.

Indoor gatherings will be limited to 100 people and outdoor gatherings to 200.

Exemptions to the outdoor limits are being considered for sports events, with the possibility that up to 500 people could attend a match in a venue that has a 5,000 capacity. There is the possibility for increased numbers in large stadiums like Croke Park and the Aviva, but no decisions have been taken yet.

All pubs and restaurants will be open, albeit with social distancing in place and contact-tracing measures to respond to any outbreaks.

Foreign travel would open up in line with a traffic-light system for countries being developed by the EU. Covid-19 testing at the point of origin may be required for people coming from countries that are on a red list.

Level 2

The country is now essentially at Level 2 of the Government’s plan. Ireland currently has a cumulative rate of 45.4 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks.

The number of visitors to a home is limited to six people from up to three different households.

Other indoor gatherings, such as exercise and dance classes, are also limited to six people with social distancing.

Up to 50 people are allowed in cinemas, theatres and art galleries, and weddings can also be held with this number.

Outdoor gatherings and events are limited to 15 people.

Sports events are currently taking place behind closed doors but there may be an easing of this restriction to allow some spectators.

Pubs that serve food and restaurants are open, and so-called ‘wet pubs’ will be allowed to open from next week, Monday, September 21.

Level 3

This is a more serious level of restriction and is likely to include measures to limit people’s movement. A mini-lockdown was imposed on Kildare when it had 200 cases per 100,000 people, which may offer a guide on the threshold for Level 3 measures to be brought in.

The number of visitors in a home will be limited to six people from just one other household. This measure is currently being considered for Dublin due to the rise in cases in the capital.

In Level 3, people will be asked to confine their travel to specific regions, which could be their own county or even specific areas in their county. The region will be defined by the authorities if the restriction is being brought in. It’s understood Dublin may avoid such measures for now.

Restrictions on some businesses may return. For instance, in Kildare, Laois and Offaly last month, restaurants and pubs had to go back to take-away only. The reopening of so-called ‘wet pubs’ in Dublin is at risk of not happening given the current rise in cases.

There will be flexibility in imposing the measures in the various levels but it’s expected that Dublin is heading towards at least some of the restrictions in Level 3.

Level 4

The second most serious level of restriction, Level 4 would see all household visits prohibited and indoor gatherings banned.

The Government’s priority across all levels of the ‘Living with Covid’ plan is to keep schools and creches open if at all possible, so children would likely still be in classrooms at Level 4.

Level 5

Under Level 5 restrictions, the country would effectively return to the kind of strict lockdown that began at the end of March and lasted through April and into May.

It would likely only be introduced if the virus was spreading rapidly and uncontrolled through the community, with resulting pressure on the capacity of the health service.

There would be restrictions on movements along the lines of 2km and 5km zones, and bans on non-essential travel outside of a person’s own area.

Supermarkets and other essential businesses like pharmacies would remain open but others may have to close.