Ireland will remove the rules of mandatory mask-wearing in indoor public facilities and on public transport starting from February 28, said the Irish government on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the specific protective measures currently in place in primary and secondary schools as well as in early learning and school-aged childcare facilities will also be removed, said the government in a statement. The specific measures aimed at protecting local primary, secondary and pre-school children include pods, social distancing, and staggering breaks, it added.
Pods refer to the practice that students must be grouped in a limited number while participating in an activity.
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The statement also said that from the end of this month on, people who show symptoms of Covid-19 will no longer need to take a test except pregnant women, elders, and people who have a high-risk medical condition or are immunocompromised.
But they must self-isolate themselves until 48 hours after the symptoms resolve, it said, adding that people who are close contacts of a confirmed Covid-19 case will also no longer need to have a test except healthcare workers who are identified as a household close contact. Following the implementation of these newly announced rules, nearly all the COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland will be removed.
