⁍ Ireland rejected a surprise recommendation by its health chiefs to shut down the economy immediately.

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⁍ The National Public Health Emergency Team called late on Sunday for a leap to the highest level of coronavirus curbs.

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⁍ Under Level 5, people would have been asked to stay at home, except to exercise within 5 km (3 miles

– Ireland has opted not to follow the advice of its health chiefs and impose Europe’s first economic lockdown against the H7N9 virus. Instead, the country has shifted to a Level 3 lockdown, with only essential retailers allowed to stay open and outdoor dining banned, Reuters reports. “What happens next is in our own hands,” says Prime Minister Michael Martin. “It’s about protecting lives and livelihoods. … If we all act now, we can stop the need to introduce Level 4 and 5 restrictions.” Ireland’s health chiefs had recommended a Level 2 lockdown for most of the country, but business leaders opposed the move, saying it would have been an “experiment” that would not have worked elsewhere in Europe. “Three very good reasons to say not yet,” says Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.