Ireland PM Micheal Martin
A new study has claimed that Ireland has been put under the strictest COVID-19 lockdown regime in the Western world.

Researchers at the University of Oxford ranked the pandemic strategies of 180 countries on a 'stringency map', factoring in the impact of public health restrictions on education, the workplace, socialisation, international travel and freedom of movement.

The nations were ranked out of 100, with higher scores corresponding to more austere regimes on average since the beginning of the pandemic almost one year ago.
Ireland Covid restrictions
© Gareth Chaney CollinsA new study has claimed that Ireland has been put under the strictest COVID-19 lockdown regime in the Western world.
Ireland ranked 87.96 out of 100, topping the polls in Europe and the Western world and coming third overall.

Using data available as of February 17, the top two strictest regimes were held by Cuba, with a rating of 90.74, and Eritrea, with a rating of 89.81.
The UK ranked second in Europe, at 86.11, while Germany came in at 83.33, the US scored 68.06 and France ranked 63.89.
Covid cases graph in Ireland
© Aoife Ryan-Christensen

The pandemic response tracker was devised by the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University using 19 different indicators that also included the impact on public transport and the provision of income support.

Restrictions were categorised and allocated a number to denote strictness. These figures were then entered into a complex mathematical equation to produce an overall rating out of 100.

The data used in the research wad compiled from public sources by a team of more than 100 staff and students.
Covid  world map
© Aoife Ryan-ChristensenThe pandemic response tracker was devised by the Blavatnik School at Oxford University using 19 different indicators that also included the impact on public transport and the provision of income support.
The identification of Ireland as the Western country with the strictest lockdown measures comes ahead of Taoiseach Micheál Martin's address to the nation on Tuesday concerning the restrictions the Government will implement over the coming months.

Further information about the research can be find at the Blavatnik School's website.