Ireland is shutting schools, universities and childcare facilities to delay the spread of coronavirus in contrast to the UK, which is keeping education institutions open, exposing a stark divergence in response to the crisis.
Irish authorities said the shutdown would begin at 6pm on Thursday and last at least until 29 March as part of a series of restrictions, including a ban on mass gatherings, that would be kept under review.
The unprecedented closures put pressure on Boris Johnson to follow suit – or to explain the decision to keep schools open. The British prime minister gave a press conference later on Thursday after a meeting of Cobra, the government’s emergency committee, where there was no change in the UK’s stance.
Asked earlier about Dublin’s announcement, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We follow our own advice, they will do the same.”
The prospect of diverging responses caused consternation on both sides of the Irish border and prompted calls for a joint strategy on the island of Ireland. Daniel Baker, the lord mayor of Belfast city council, said it would seek guidance from the Northern Ireland Executive and Public Health Agency.
Unionists, who usually prefer to follow London rather than Dublin, disagreed over whether the threat of coronavirus justified an all-Ireland approach.
The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced the partial lockdown at a hastily arranged press conference in Washington DC before meeting Donald Trump for a traditional meeting ahead of St Patrick’s Day.
“I know that some of this is coming as a real shock,” he said. “And it’s going to involve big changes in the way we live our lives. And I know that I’m asking people to make enormous sacrifices. But we’re doing it for each other.”
All indoor gatherings of 100 people or more and outdoor gatherings of 500 or more should be cancelled, Varadkar said. State-run cultural institutions will close but public transport will still run.
The lockdown is not as drastic as Italy’s. Shops, cafes and restaurants will remain open, as will airports and ports. Travellers with Covid-19 symptoms are being asked to self-isolate.
The taoiseach said he was acting on the latest medical advice. “The virus is all over the world, it will continue to spread but it can be slowed. Acting together as one nation we can save many lives. Our economy will suffer but in time it will bounce back.”
Ireland recorded 27 new infections on Thursday – by far the biggest daily rise – bringing its number of confirmed cases to 70. There has been one confirmed death, of an elderly woman with an underlying medical condition. Northern Ireland on Thursday recorded two new cases, bringing its total to 20.
The prospect of diverging strategies on school closures prompted criticism that authorities were acting as if coronavirus would respect the 310-mile border between the north and south of Ireland.
Northern Ireland’s health minister, Robin Swann, told Stormont’s health committee that deaths should also be expected in Northern Ireland but that so far it was not “in the same place” as the Republic. “Our approach is different as there are no signs of community transfer.”
Other unionists disagreed. “Since coronavirus doesn’t give a damn about borders or identities it makes sense for NI to follow immediately,” tweeted Alex Kane, a unionist commentator.
Jamie Bryson, a loyalist blogger, said Northern Ireland had to recognise it shared an open land border with Ireland. “Regardless of the rights or wrongs of that open border, it is a reality. We face a health crisis that could result in deaths of many people. It is sensible to coordinate the approach between both jurisdictions.”
Varadkar’s announcement caused consternation among consumers.
Within minutes of his statement on closures and restrictions shoppers packed supermarkets across Ireland to stock up on toiletries, tinned food, pasta, rice and other products.
“A fresh supply of toilet paper on the shelves, all gone, pasta, going, wipes, forget about it,” said a manager at SuperValu in Dun Laoghaire, south Dublin, as people with full trollies and baskets queued at cash registers.
Similar scenes played out across the country. Several supermarkets briefly closed to restock. “As a result of unprecedented numbers of customers in some stores this afternoon we had to put some health and safety measures in place,” said a Tesco spokesperson.
Retail Excellence, an industry representative, asked people to stop posting images on social media of empty shelves, saying it was sensationalising the issue.
Authorities urged people to stay calm and not stockpile, saying supply chains were robust. “People do not need to panic buy. Supermarkets & shops will remain open. Stockpiling could cause problems - please don’t do it,” tweeted Heather Humphreys, the business and enterprise minister.