Ireland goes into lockdown with schools closed and mass gatherings cancelled

The Republic of Ireland has announced that it will be closing all schools and colleges in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

Ireland reported its first coronavirus-related death on Wednesday 11 March after an elderly woman died in hospital in Dublin.

The new measure was announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday 12 March and is scheduled to last until the end of the month.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Why has Ireland closed its schools?

On Thursday 12 March, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced the new measure in an address to the nation broadcast from Washington where he is set to meet with President Trump as part of the St Patrick’s Day tradition.

The measure will see all of Ireland’s schools, colleges and childcare facilities closed. All indoor gatherings of 100 more people will also be cancelled, as will outdoor gatherings of 500 or more.

It came as Donald Trump made a coronavirus announcement of his own, shutting down all travel from Europe, except for Britain and Ireland.

He said that the action had been determined as a necessary measure in stopping the spread of the coronavirus in Ireland. Varadkar said “I know that some of this is coming as a real shock and it's going to involve big changes in the way we live our lives, and I know I am asking people to make enormous sacrifices.

“But we are doing it for each other - together we can slow the virus in its tracks and push it back.

“We have not witnessed a pandemic of this nature in living memory and this is uncharted territory for us. We said we would take the right actions at the right time and we have to move now to have the greatest impact."

How long will the shut-down last?

The shut-down begins on Friday 13 March and is currently scheduled to last until Sunday 29 March.