| Where did it all go wrong? That's the question Ireland is grappling with as it fights the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world. Just over a month ago, after another spell of restrictions, daily infections dropped to about 300 a day, one of the lowest figures in Europe. This week, daily cases soared to almost 8,000, and on Tuesday Ireland reported the most deaths since April. Hospitals are filling up and running out of intensive-care beds. This past weekend, ambulances lined up outside one facility in Donegal unable to take any more patients.  What changed? At least two factors appear to be at play. First, in early December, Prime Minister Micheal Martin relaxed curbs in a bid to give his tired people a "meaningful Christmas." That meant stores, bars and restaurants reopened, albeit with restrictions. Home visits were permitted again, and divided families living in different parts of the nation were allowed to reunite. All that seems to have spurred a new surge in the virus just as a dangerous new variant appeared in Ireland's closest neighbor, the U.K. With few restrictions on travel, the more contagious strain quickly spread to Ireland. Scientists guess that about 45% of Irish cases are linked to the new variant. The government responded quickly, shutting down bars on Christmas Eve. Non-essential stores have closed again, construction sites sit idle and schools haven't reopened — Ireland now has one of the strictest lockdown regimes in the world. And its people are hunkering down, with those measures set to remain in force for at least three months, when much of the vulnerable population will be vaccinated. The hope is that it will end the lockdown-reopening-lockdown cycle Ireland has endured for almost a year. For Martin and his government, though, the central question will remain: How culpable was his decision to chase Christmas?—Dara Doyle | 
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