The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has tonight recommended a shift to level-five restrictions in a letter to the government, according to RTÉ News, in a move that throws more uncertainty on the future of universities for the rest of the year.
NPHET is believed to have recommended that the country be up on level-five restrictions for up to four weeks. The three party leaders are set to meet with Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan tomorrow.
Level-five restrictions would mark a dramatic shift to much tougher measures such as a ban on indoor and outdoor gatherings, the closure of bars and restaurants apart from takeaway services and an end to non-essential travel, not seen since the coronavirus initially broke out in spring.
Level five currently has no clear path forward for higher education institutions, and instead states that the recommendations will be based on the situation and evidence available.
At present, Trinity is working under level-level three restrictions, which were announced on September 18th. Most classes in Trinity have since moved online, with the exception of practical subjects and classes that involve the use of laboratories.
News of increased restrictions for universities and colleges came days after Senior Lecturer Kevin Mitchell confirmed to this newspaper that College planned to offer all students some in-person teaching this semester.
Libraries are still open in Trinity, and campus is alway open to residents and open to non-residents up until 5pm. Non-residents are encouraged, however, to only come to campus if necessary.
Extracurricular activities “that require physical gathering” are currently suspended. Five sports teams – the Trinity Meteors, Dublin University Football Club men’s firsts, Dublin University Hockey Club men’s firsts, Dublin University Ladies Hockey Club firsts and Trinity Volleyball women’s firsts – are allowed to continue with their rescheduled fixtures.
First-year students are set to begin classes tomorrow, after the rest of College started its semester last week.
Provost Patrick Prendergast last week said that “blanket statements” applying to all courses and institutions were “unhelpful”, in a meeting of Higher Education Minister Simon Harris and the presidents of Ireland’s universities.
In a tweet, the Provost said that, as chair of the Irish Universities Association (IUA), he had also called on the government to give universities the autonomy “to balance in-person and online teaching”.
“Campuses are well managed and can be among the safest places for students”, he added. “We all agreed that management of the behavioural challenge will require us to trust the students and work with them.”
