Ireland to reopen all shops in May, hospitality in early June

FILE PHOTO: Empty city centre shopping street is seen, amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Dublin, Ireland, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will press ahead with plans to reopen all retail stores, personal services and non-residential construction in May with hotels, restaurants and bars to follow sooner than expected in early June, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Thursday.

The government committed a month ago to reopening all shops for the first time this year in May and hotels in June if it could avoid a fourth wave of COVID-19 disease and speed up its vaccine programme - criteria that it has met.