evidence: Ireland responded to the first two waves of infections with strict lockdowns and mostly gradual reopening2. However, the reopening at the beginning of December, accompanied by increased social interactions during the holidays and arrival of a more contagious virus variant from the UK, resulted in a surge of infections from the lowest levels in Europe to the highest in the world by the second week of January. This necessitated a third lockdown in January through April 5th, 2021 with tighter restrictions, including closure of schools and most construction sites. Infection rates have declined since then. At the end of April the government has announced a gradual reopening plan3. The government started vaccination program4 in end-December and is expecting to vaccinate 80% of the population by early July 2021. [...] New restrictions. On January 4, 2021, amidst rising contagions and the rapid spread of a new string of the virus, PM Boris Johnson imposed a third coronavirus lockdown across England, moving it up to tier 4, shutting schools, restaurants, bars, and non-essential shops and ordering the public to stay at home. Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales also went into lockdown. The full emergency lockdown is being lifted in phases, starting with the reopening of schools and recreation in outdoor public spaces on March 8. Non-essential retail, shops, hairdressers, gyms, and outdoor hospitality reopened on April 12 in England. On May 17, outdoors most social contact rules were lifted and indoor hospitality and hotels reopened. The final phase—full reopening—was postponed from June 21 to July 19 on account of a new Covid wave triggered by the Delta variant.