Currently at around 318 cases a day, restaurants have been told that cases must continue to drop in order for them to reopen next month.
Anxiously awaiting a decision on what businesses
will and won't be allowed to do in the run-up to Christmas, restaurants across the country have been told that cases must fall to around 200 a day in order for them to reopen at the start of December as hoped.
Lobbying on behalf of the food and beverage industry, Chief Executive of the Restaurant's Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins has said that no promises have been made but restaurants are "ready and prepared" to reopen for indoor dining and should be given the chance to do so. Speaking on
RTÉ radio earlier today he noted:
"Our ask to the government is that we can reopen for indoor dining from the first of December. We're ready, we're prepared... We want to do this for December so that the public can have a social outlet that is controlled and regulated."
Going on to explain why it's necessary for businesses to reopen from the start of the month, he later added:
"We need to reopen from the first of December because 30 per cent of our income comes in in December and every day that we lose, well that puts huge financial pressure on our businesses to sustain our business into the new year - into January and February."
Confirming that a full Cabinet meeting is to be held tomorrow morning, An Taoiseach Michéal Martin said that "no decisions have been made as of yet" though hospitality remains a key sticking point.
Government is expected to announce an official decision later this week.
