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COVID Restrictions Loosening Across Europe

With cases falling across the globe, many governments are easing back restrictions and lockdown orders. Most are utilizing a phased approach to ensure safety for citizens while returning schools and/or businesses to a more normal operating schedule.

Ireland

The Irish government has set forth a COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery plan to step down restrictions. Throughout the month of March, schools at various levels will resume in-person instruction. By April 12, all school levels from primary to post-primary will be open (see full schools and childcare reopening schedule here).

Other current public health restrictions remain in place until April 5 when a further review will take place. Until then, the requirement to work from home will continue, with the exception of essential health, social care or other essential service/activity. Additionally, traveler quarantine guidelines are still in place and the requirements for country entry are a completed COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form and a negative COVID-19 test. Find all traveler guidance here.

If virus transmission reaches an acceptable level and vaccination programs progress accordingly, additional easing of restrictions will be considered. The goal for the Irish government is to lay the foundation for a full recovery of social and business activity.

Read more at the Government of Ireland’s website.

United Kingdom

On February 22, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a roadmap for COVID recovery and a pathway to a more normalized way of life. While the roadmap includes important dates and milestones, Johnson was clear to emphasize, decisions will be made on data not dates while the government tries to keep infection rates at acceptable levels.

As outlined on the government’s website, the process has four assessment steps that must be completed before moving to the next phase of recovery.

Vaccine deployment programs continue successfully
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths in those vaccinated
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalizations, which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
Assessment of risk is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern
The timeframe for the roadmap includes a minimum of five weeks between each recovery step, which breaks down as four weeks for the data to reflect the changes in restrictions and then, an additional seven days of notice that restrictions are being eased.

Read the full plan for recovery on the UK Government website

Summary

As Ireland and UK both roll out their plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions, we expect these to be the first of many we will see throughout EMEA in 2021. Throughout each step of the way, Altair Global’s team is available to answer any questions you may have, so please reach out to your Client Services representative.

For more information on the Coronavirus and its impact on mobility across the globe, please visit our COVID-19 Resources page.

Published On: February 15, 2021

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