Ireland bans major events until September

The Republic of Ireland has instated a ban on major public gatherings of more than 5,000 people until 1 September. It means no major festival, concerts, or sporting events will be able to go ahead in the country this summer. Local authorities are to be told not to grant licenses for large events during this period, in an attempt to combat Covid-19. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he hoped to announce the lifting of some restrictions by 5 May, although he added he did not want to give false assurances. The Irish government said the advice to ban major events would be “kept under review” in line with public health advice on mass gatherings. 730 people have died of Covid-19 in Ireland, with just over 16,000 total cases. Pictured: St Patrick’s Day in Dublin, 2015