DUBLIN (Reuters) – The Irish finance department on Tuesday said GDP for 2020 could fall by 13.8% if the coronavirus is not suppressed in the second quarter, and to 15.3% if there is a second wave.
In an update to its Stability Programme, the government said its “central scenario implicitly assumes that the virus is essentially suppressed in the second quarter, so that a gradual easing of containment measures is possible.
“This, however, cannot be guaranteed. Containment measures could be extended or, alternatively, containment measures could prove successful in suppressing the virus and allowing an easing of restrictions, only for a second wave to necessitate a reintroduction.”
(Reporting by Graham Fahy; Editing by Alex Richardson)
