THE Republic's health minister has said the public will be "sickened" by video footage recorded in a Dublin venue at the weekend appearing to show revellers flouting coronavirus restrictions by dancing in close proximity while having drinks poured into their mouths.
Footage said to have been filmed on Saturday at the Berlin D2 bar and restaurant venue shows people ignoring social distancing guidelines through dancing, while a man wearing a face mask is shown standing on the bar and pouring alcoholic spirits into people's mouths.
Current Covid-19 restrictions mean bars that serve food must enforce social distancing measures.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said in a tweet: "The vast majority of Irish people have sacrificed a huge amount to help suppress this virus. They've shown huge solidarity. People are rightly sickened by these scenes. The reckless actions of a small few can have huge repercussions on everyone else."
Is this fair on smaller pubs who have been closed 5 months? #berlind2pic.twitter.com/XfiMFYnAUy
— Lee Mc Donald (@McDaddy99) August 16, 2020
Restaurants Association of Ireland CEO Adrian Cummins said the "deplorable and despicable" images were a "slap in the face to frontline workers who are putting their life on the line during this pandemic", and urged gardaí to take action.
Meanwhile, a tweet from the Licensed Vintners Association, which represents Dublin publicans, stated: "This is outrageous and appalling. That business should be shut down immediately."
Restaurateur Jay Bourke, who is involved with Berlin D2, said he was reviewing CCTV footage from the venue, which he described as a "very compliant premises" in regards to coronavirus restrictions.
However, referring to the scenes which he described as "20 seconds of madness", Mr Bourke said he was "absolutely mortified".
