Publicans outside Dublin are making final preparations ahead of the lifting of restrictions on bars outside the capital today.

Publicans outside Dublin are making final preparations ahead of the lifting of restrictions on bars outside the capital today.
Pubs not serving food will be permitted to open for the first time since mid-March.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, operations will resume under strict guidelines.
In Dublin, all bars not serving food remain closed.
New restrictions introduced at the weekend also saw the shut down of indoor dining in pubs and restaurants in the capital for the next three weeks.
When pub doors open around the country, the experience will be different for staff and customers alike.
There will be limits on customer numbers in every premises, social distancing measures are obligatory and there will be enhanced cleaning regimes for all surfaces and contact points.
Table service is mandatory, so ordering or sitting at the bar is a thing of the past, for now.
Other guidelines govern noise levels, employee movements and contact tracing.
A number of postponed restart dates have given the sector plenty of time to get its ducks in a row. Now the focus is on ensuring that businesses can stay open in the weeks and months ahead.
The organisation representing pub owners says its members have invested heavily in advance of business resuming and that they are committed to operating in line with the new standards.
The Vintners’ Federation has been critical of the length of time restrictions have been in place.
Its Chief Executive, Padraig Cribben, said the reopening of pubs is a good news story, particularly for owners and staff who have been out of work for six months.
He contended that the move will also have significant mental health benefits for customers in rural areas, who will be able to meet others in a “safe, socially distanced, controlled environment”.
He has called on all publicans to ensure guidelines are enforced so that there can be a collective effort to beat the threat posed by Covid-19.
Mr Cribben is also calling for enhanced Government supports for publicans, who he said will be trading at around 50% capacity for the foreseeable future.