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Ireland closing all schools amid coronavirus outbreak

Published  March 12, 2020 10:07am EDT
Coronavirus
Associated Press

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Ireland is closing all schools and cultural institutions until March 29, in a major escalation of its response to the new coronavirus.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced the measures would take effect at 6 p.m. Thursday. He said the closure applies to schools, colleges, childcare facilities and cultural institutions. All indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor events with more than 500 are also canceled.

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Speaking during a trip to Washington, Varadkar said people should work from home as much as possible.

He said the measures would mean major disruptions but “acting together as one nation we can save many lies.”

So far 43 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Ireland and one person has died. Ireland, along with Britain, is excluded from a 30-day U.S. ban on travelers from continental Europe.

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