covid-19 transmission levels remained too high for schools to reopen in february. 26 january – the government announced the extension of the level 5 lockdown restrictions until 5 march, along with a number of new measures including a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for all people travelling into the country without a negative covid-19 test. 30 january – chief medical officer tony holohan announced that more cases had been confirmed in one month than throughout 2020 with over 1,000 deaths and more than 100,000 cases confirmed in january. 31 january – a further 1,247 cases and 15 deaths were reported, bringing the totals to 196,547 cases and 3,307 deaths. 3 previously notified cases were de-notified. february 2021 1 february – the department of education agreed to reopen special schools with 50% capacity on 11 february and special classes in mainstream schools on 22 february. 3 february – the department of public health expressed concern over increases in covid-19 transmission linked to social gatherings involving the student population in the mid-west region. 4 february – the total number of covid-19 cases in ireland surpassed 200,000 cases, with over half confirmed in 2021. 6 february – the first shipment of 21,600 astrazeneca vaccines arrived in the republic of ireland. 10 february – the world health organization praised ireland's recovery from the third wave of covid-19 but warned of the danger of a fourth wave. 11 february – the asti withdrew from discussions with the department of education on the leaving certificate 2021 after it said that the plan being developed would not provide a "meaningful leaving certificate" for students. 12 february – it was confirmed that the traditional st patrick's day meeting between us president joe biden and taoiseach micheál martin at the white house would take place virtually due to the covid-19 pandemic. 13 february – the asti re-joined discussions with the department of education on the leaving certificate 2021 after pulling out on 11 february. 15 february – minister for health stephen donnelly confirmed locations for 37 vaccination centres across all counties as part of the country's covid-19 vaccination programme. 17 february ireland's covid-19 death toll surpassed 4,000 as deputy chief medical officer ronan glynn announced that 90% of covid-19 cases in ireland were the uk variant of covid-19. minister for education norma foley confirmed that leaving certificate examinations would proceed with students given the option between a modified version of calculated grades or written exams, while junior certificate examinations were cancelled for a second year in a row. 19 february – taoiseach micheál martin expressed his condolences to chief medical officer tony holohan and his family after his wife, emer, died following a long illness with multiple myeloma. 22 february – special classes in mainstream primary and secondary schools reopened as the phased reopening of schools continued. 23 february – taoiseach micheál martin announced the extension of level 5 lockdown restrictions for another six weeks until 5 april at the earliest as the government published its new revised living with covid-19 plan called "the path ahead", which included the phased reopening of schools and childcare and the extension of the covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment and the employment wage subsidy scheme. covid-19 resilience and recovery 2021 – the path ahead 27 february – 23 people were arrested and 3 gardaí were injured (including one hospitalised), as around 500 protesters took part in an anti-lockdown protest in dublin city centre, with fireworks being fired at gardaí, while st stephen's green and the iveagh gardens closed in advance of the protest. the protest was widely condemned by the gardaí and politicians, including the taoiseach, tánaiste and minister for justice. 28 february a further 612 cases and 6 deaths were reported, bringing the totals to 219,592 cases and 4,319 deaths. ireland officially marked one year since the first case of covid-19 in the country was confirmed on 29 february 2020. 13 people, including 12 men and 1 woman, were charged and remanded in custody for public order offences after anti-lockdown protests in dublin city centre turned violent on 27 february, while tánaiste leo varadkar stated that the violence on the streets of dublin was "not a protest and was a riot". march 2021 1 march – over 320,000 junior primary school pupils and leaving certificate students nationwide returned to school for the first time since christmas. 2 march – a man in his 30s was arrested in connection with a firework attack on gardaí at a violent anti-lockdown protest in dublin city centre on 27 february. 3 march – jake merriman, a 30-year-old man, appeared in court charged in connection with a firework attack on gardaí at an anti-lockdown protest in dublin city centre on 27 february. 6 march taoiseach micheál martin announced that ireland had reached the milestone of half a million covid-19 vaccines administered. gardaí arrested 6 people (5 men and 1 woman) as around 450 people attended an anti-lockdown protest in cork city centre that ended without incident. 7 march – president michael d. higgins signed into law the legislation to bring in mandatory hotel quarantine for certain passengers entering the country from high-risk countries. 11 march – ireland officially marked one year since the first death of covid-19 in the country was confirmed on 11 march 2020, the same day when covid-19 was declared a pandemic. 14 march – the administration of the astrazeneca covid-19 vaccine was suspended in ireland by the national immunisation advisory committee (niac) as a precautionary measure following concerns over serious blood clots in norway. 15 march – over 350,000 remaining primary school pupils and fifth year secondary students nationwide returned to school for the first time since christmas. 16 march – the garda síochána urged people to stay at home for st patrick's day as a significant policing operation was put in place to deal with planned protests in dublin city with 2,500 gardaí being deployed across the country. 17 march – gardaí arrested 21 people after around 700 protestors took part in a number of anti-lockdown protests in dublin city centre, herbert park and at the rté campus in donnybrook. 18 march – it was confirmed that 7 gardaí were injured (including five hospitalised) after being kicked, punched and spat at in separate violent anti-lockdown protests which took place in dublin on st patrick's day. 19 march – the niac recommended that the astrazeneca covid-19 vaccine could continue to be used in ireland following approval from the european medicines agency (ema) on 18 march. 23 march – the booking portal for mandatory hotel quarantine in ireland opened for those arriving into the country from friday 26 march, with a 12-night stay for passengers arriving from high risk countries costing €1,875 each. 26 march ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine system for all passengers arriving into the country from high-risk countries came into force at 4 am. the leader of the labour party alan kelly called for the chief executive of the beacon hospital to resign after it gave 20 leftover covid-19 vaccines to a number of teachers and staff at a private secondary school in bray, county wicklow on 23 march. 27 march – gardaí began an investigation after three people absconded from a mandatory hotel quarantine facility near dublin airport while on a smoking break outside under supervision, with one person located. 28 march – a second person who absconded from a mandatory hotel quarantine facility on 27 march was located, while a search for the third male continued. 30 march – the government announced a phased easing of level 5 restrictions from 12 april, with people allowed to travel within their county, two households allowed to meet socially outdoors, fully vaccinated people allowed to meet other vaccinated people indoors, and the resumption of all residential construction projects from that date. from 19 april: elite-level senior gaa matches and training could resume from 26 april: outdoor sports facilities (such as pitches, golf courses and tennis courts) could reopen outdoor visitor attractions (such as zoos, open pet farms, heritage sites) could reopen maximum attendance at funerals would increase from 10 to 25 on compassionate grounds from 4 may: full reopening of construction activity phased reopening of non-essential retail and personal services religious services, museums and galleries could reopen and resume 31 march – a further 411 cases and 6 deaths were reported, bringing the totals to 235,854 cases and 4,687 deaths. 1 previously notified case was de-notified. april 2021 2 april – two women in their 30s were arrested and charged after refusing to enter mandatory hotel quarantine upon arrival in dublin airport from dubai. 6 april – three women who absconded from a mandatory hotel quarantine facility in dublin were found by gardaí almost 200 km away near loughrea, county galway. 7 april – the three teacher unions voted for an emergency motion backing industrial action, up to and including strike action, if they were not prioritised for vaccination. 8 april – the health products regulatory authority (hpra) began an investigation after the first case of a very rare blood clot in the brain of a person after vaccination with the astrazeneca vaccine was confirmed in a 40-year-old dublin woman. 12 april the phased easing of level 5 restrictions began with the 5 km travel limit lifted, the resumption of all residential construction work, two households could meet up outdoors and the full reopening of all schools. following a lengthy meeting, the niac recommend that only people over 60 years of age should get the astrazeneca covid-19 vaccine and that a second dose of the vaccine should not be given to anyone who developed unusual blood clots with low platelets after the first dose. 15 april – over 26,000 people registered for a covid-19 vaccination after the online portal for 69-year-olds went live. 16 april – the european commission urged the government to amend or possibly scrap mandatory hotel quarantine for eu citizens and sought clarifications as to why a number of eu member states were subject to the rules. 23 april – the health products regulatory authority reported a number of serious blood clotting events associated with the astrazeneca vaccine in people who received the vaccine. 26 april – the further easing of level 5 restrictions came into effect with all sports pitches, golf courses, tennis courts, zoos, pet farms and heritage sites reopening. 29 april – the government announced a reopening plan for the country throughout may and june from 10 may, with inter-county travel allowed, the reopening of all hairdressers, libraries, museums and galleries, up to 50 people allowed to attend religious services, the resumption of click-and-collect services and the allowances of three households to meet outdoors (including in private gardens) and a vaccinated household to meet an unvaccinated household indoors from that date. from 17 may all retail could reopen from 2 june hotels, b&bs, self-catering and hostels could reopen but services must be restricted to overnight guests and residents from 7 june outdoor sports matches could recommence with no spectators permitted gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres could reopen for individual training only outdoor services in restaurants and bars could recommence, with groups limited to a maximum of 6 people the numbers of guests attending wedding celebrations/receptions could increase to 25 visitors from one other household could be permitted in private homes 30 april a further 545 cases and 4 deaths were reported, bringing the totals to 248,870 cases and 4,903 deaths. 1 previously notified case was de-notified. minister for health stephen donnelly announced that nearly 150 cases of variants of concern had been identified in ireland, including: 71 cases of the south african variant, 27 cases of the brazilian variant, 8 cases of the indian variant, 6 cases of the new york variant and 20 cases of the nigerian variant. may 2021 3 may – in an open letter to those who had been fully vaccinated, chief medical officer tony holohan praised the sacrifices people had made over the past year and advised those who were vaccinated to make the most of socialising outdoors. 4 may – the covid-19 vaccine registration portal opened to people aged between 50 and 59 on a phased basis, starting with people aged 59. 6 may – the first doses of the janssen covid-19 vaccine were administered through homeless services at a