Coronavirus Ireland: Schools and colleges shut until March 29

All schools, colleges and nurseries will be closed across Ireland with outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people banned amid a growing coronavirus outbreak.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar made the dramatic announcement in a speech given outside Blair House in Washington DC, where he later met with Donald Trump.

He added that under the emergency measures, which will take effect from 6pm today until March 29, teaching will be completed online and museums, galleries and other tourist destinations will also close as a result of the action.

The UK has yet to announce similar measures despite eight deaths due to the virus, with Boris Johnson expected to defy demands for an immediate shutdown of schools and borders later today.

It comes after the White House banned travellers from 26 European countries from entering the US on Wednesday, excluding passengers from Ireland and the UK. 

Ireland confirmed its first death linked to coronavirus this week as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose from 34 to 43.

There have also been 18 infections reported across Northern Ireland, which shares a border with the Republic.  

The two-week school and childcare closures are among a range of restrictions which will come into place across Ireland at 6pm.

Advice has been issued to cancel all indoor gatherings involving 100 people or more and any outdoor gatherings of 500 or more. 

Anyone entering Ireland will be informed of the measures and asked to self-isolate if they are displaying any symptoms of the rapidly spreading virus. 

People have been urged to continue to go to work but, where possible, to work from home. 

Mr Varadkar, speaking a short distance from the White House, said public transport will continue to operate as normal and shops would remain open.

He added that restaurants and cafes could stay open but should try to implement official advice on social distancing.

The Government has plans to ensure that supply chains will not be interrupted by the emergency measures, which were advised by the National Public Health Emergency Team.

Mr Varadkar also urged workers to limit face-to-face contact and suggested staggering break times in businesses.

‘We need the public and businesses to take a sensible, level-headed and responsible approach during this difficult time,’ he said. 

He went on to suggest Irish citizens reduce their social interaction outside of work.

Within an hour of the announcement, long queues had formed at supermarkets in central Dublin despite repeated calls by ministers not to resort to panic buying. 

One Tesco Extra in the capital’s north was forced to close temporarily as people rushed to stock up on essentials.

In the first sign of splits within the UK, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today declared she is ‘minded’ to cancel mass gatherings of over 500 people from the start of next week. 

‘This is a serious situation. We cannot make this virus go away. It is highly likely now that significant numbers of us are going to get this virus,’ she said. 

The Irish premier confirmed the drastic action had been taken to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed 4,700 lives worldwide. 

‘Unfortunately we must face the tragic reality that some people will die,’ he said. ‘The virus is all over the world, it will continue to spread but it can be slowed.’

He added the Government had a duty to protect those at risk, such as the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.

‘We have not witnessed a pandemic of this nature in living memory and this is uncharted territory for us,’ he said. ‘We said we would take the right actions at the right time and we have to move now to have the greatest impact.’

Health minister Simon Harris announced in Dublin that the country had officially moved to the ‘delay’ phase, which aims to reduce the peak impact of the virus and slow its spread. 

At a separate news conference, Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney said measures were planned for people arriving at airports from affected areas, but that airports will not be closed.  

Mr Varadkar added Ireland will use extensive but not unlimited resources to address the growing crisis over COVID-19.

He said the Government would do as much as it could to support healthcare workers on the ‘front line’.

‘I know that some of this is coming as a real shock and it’s going to involve big changes in the way we live our lives, and I know I am asking people to make enormous sacrifices,’ he said. ‘But we are doing it for each other – together we can slow the virus in its tracks and push it back.’

He added that acting as ‘one nation’ could save lives and that the economy will suffer – but ‘we can bounce back’. 

‘In time our lives will go back to normal,’ he added. ‘Above all we all need to look out for each other.

‘Ireland is a great nation, we are a great people and we have experienced hardship and struggle before.

‘We’ve overcome many trials in the past with our determination and our spirit and once again we will prevail.’

With Ireland taking more stringent action than the UK, Downing Street defended the approach being taken by the Prime Minister and the authorities in Northern Ireland.  

‘We have been in regular dialogue with Irish counterparts,’ a spokesman said.

‘In terms of our own response, we have said that we want it to be a UK-wide response and we have been working with the four chief medical officers and devolved administrations.’