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| - Large-scale events will remain banned in Ireland until the end of August as part of an effort to tackle the coronavirus, the government said on Tuesday. Local authorities have been told that "events requiring licences in excess of 5,000 (people) will not be considered for the period up to the end of August", according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Under Irish regulations, outdoor gatherings of more than 5,000 must be licensed in consultation with local government, police and the Health Services Executive (HSE). Ireland is currently under a general lockdown, banning non-essential travel and businesses from operating until May. The Republic's chief medical officer Tony Holohan said the ban was "consistent with our current position that events of that scale simply shouldn't be taking place." Last week he indicated Ireland had "flattened the curve" of the spread, saying a peak in cases is no longer expected. However, the government has indicated that restrictions are likely to be lifted in stages after May 5. "It should not be a foregone conclusion that things are going to change by way of restrictions being removed or us recommending relaxation in terms of those restrictions on 5 May," Holohan said Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, Ireland's finance ministry predicted that GDP would slide by 10.5 per cent this year as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. "The Irish economic landscape, in common with elsewhere, has been turned on its head in recent weeks," said finance minister Paschal Donohoe in a statement. There have been 730 confirmed deaths in Ireland as a result of the virus, according to figures from the department of health on Tuesday. jts/dl
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