Irish salons not impacted by extension of mandatory Covid certs

The Irish Government has announced new Covid-19 restrictions, which came into effect on 7 December and are due to remain in place until 9 January.

While hospitality, indoor venues and household gatherings are set to be affected by the new rules, the Irish hair and beauty industry can continue to operate as normal.

There had been some speculation that Covid vaccination certs would be required in salons, however just gyms, leisure centres, and hotel bars and restaurants have been added to the list of places where the certs are mandatory.

Following the introduction of the new public health restrictions, the Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys  announced the details of the reopening of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

This limited reopening of PUP is specifically designed to support those workers who lose their employment as a direct result of the introduction of the new restrictions.

There will be five rates of PUP payable, which will be determined by the person’s weekly earnings. To align PUP with the Employment Wage Subside Scheme (EWSS) and to better reflect the earnings of part-time workers, a new rate of €150 will be payable to those who previously earned less than €151.50 per week.

“As the Government has introduced new restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, I am reopening PUP for a limited period to support those people who directly lose their employment as a consequence of these new restrictions,” said Minister Humphreys.

“This is not where any of us wanted to be. However, reopening PUP for those directly impacted will provide vital support during these difficult times.”