Republic of Ireland: Body leading Covid fight calls for Level Five which would halt all sport
- Published
Croke Park is scheduled to host inter-county GAA games again in the coming weeks
Sport in the Republic of Ireland could be paused for four weeks if the Irish Government acts on a recommendation from the body leading the country's fight against Covid-19.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has urged that the entire country be put on a Level Five footing.
Level Five measures include the halting of all sports events.
Events affected could include next Sunday's Nations League game between the Republic of Ireland and Wales.
Ireland's rugby team are also scheduled to resume action on 24 October when they host Italy in the re-arranged Six Nations game before they take on France away a week later and then compete in the specially organised autumn tournament in November and December.
The GAA inter-county season is also set to restart on 17 October with National League games taking place over two weekends before the delayed Championship in gaelic football and hurling begins on the weekend of 31 October and 1 November.
NPHET made their recommendation of the entire county's move to Level Five in a letter to the Irish Government.
The Level Five measures announced early in the Covid-19 crisis last Spring said no sporting events could take place, with training only allowed on an individual basis.
In those Level Five regulations were applied, League of Ireland football and Pro14 rugby would also be halted - unless an exemption was agreed for elite level sport.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin and the other leaders of the Irish administration's governing parties Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan are expected to met with the country's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan on Monday.
Any move to new restrictions would have to be considered by Ireland's Covid-19 oversight group, the cabinet sub-committee and the full cabinet which is currently scheduled to meet on Tuesday.
There were 364 new Covid-19 cases recorded on Sunday, with no additional deaths reported.
Dublin and county Donegal are currently under Level Three measures which include people not being permitted to go or leave either county, with all other counties subject to level two.
