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DUBLIN, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The number of people claiming
temporary Irish jobless benefits related to COVID-19 rose for
the first time since May, weekly data showed on Monday,
reflecting the three-week closure of indoor dining in pubs and
restaurants in Dublin.
While claims have more than halved since hitting a lockdown
peak of 600,000 in early May, the rate of decline had slowed in
recent weeks and the numbers rose to 217,142 from 206,341 in the
last seven days.
Over 19,000 people applied for the Pandemic Unemployment
Payment after a reimposition of restrictions in the capital and
most populous county. However, another 8,690 closed their claim
after pubs that just serve drinks were permitted to open for the
first time since March in all counties but Dublin last week.
Ireland's unemployment rate stood at 15.4% at the end of
August as a further 225,000 people were in receipt of regular
jobless benefits. Another 360,000 employees were on a separate
wage-subsidy scheme at the end of August.
The government last week imposed the tightened restrictions
in a second of Ireland's 26 counties, the northwestern region of
Donegal. Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn highlighted concerns
over six more counties on Monday, including fast rises in Galway
and Cork, two of the other most populous areas.
Ireland reported a further increase in its infection rate to
88 cases per 100,000 people, the 15th highest of the 31
countries monitored by the European Centre for Disease Control.
(Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/3jd7ywG)
Cases are also increasing sharply in Northern Ireland, which
shares an open border with Ireland. The British-run region has
twice reported a record number of daily cases over the last four
days.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Jonathan Oatis and
Lisa Shumaker)