Irish nightclubs opened their doors for the first time since March
2020 last weekend, while theatres and concert venues also returned
to full capacity as the government lifted most curbs that had made
up one of Europe's toughest lockdown regimes.
However with COVID-19 infection rates rising despite Ireland
boasting one of the highest vaccination rates in the world,
ministers scrambled to put some mitigation measures in place to
minimise any further spread and keep the whole economy open.
These included telling performers they should not "partake in
high-risk activities" such as crowd surfing, moving through the
crowd or throwing personal items from the stage. Neither should they
encourage fans to sing along, the guidelines said.
Nights out will also be less spontaneous, with anyone attending a
nightclub required to buy a ticket online at least one hour in
advance to assist with contact tracing, a measure club owners have
been particularly critical of.
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Once inside, facemasks should be worn at all
times other than when people are dancing,
drinking or eating, and clubgoers must also stay
one metre apart in a supervised queue at the bar
to order a drink.
The measures, which include the continued
requirement for vaccine certificates to gain
entry to pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and
indoor live entertainment venues, are likely to
last until at least February, the government has
said.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Peter
Graff)
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