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“Sober”. That was the word several ministers used to sum up what they heard in Cabinet this morning.
Ironically, it was three other very different words that were meant to describe the next few days.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin had said several times in November that it would be a “safe, pleasant and meaningful” holiday period.
For many, however, the days ahead will be a time full of worry and many will experience isolation.
The government has taken steps to close the doors to much of society beginning on Christmas Eve in a version of the Level 5 restrictions.
It could well be a confinement that lasts a long time.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar warned that the restrictions are likely to apply during January and February.
The reality is that the culmination of what has happened in recent weeks means that the outlook for the next few days seems bleak.
Is it all the result of the new variant of Covid-19 or was the government wrong when it lifted the restrictions in early December?
After all, NPHET had warned in November that the reopening of the hospitality industry and the authorization of home visits could not be done safely. It seems that many medical experts do not see the increase in numbers as particularly surprising.
However, the government insists that its strategy brought Covid-19 numbers down to the lowest levels in Europe and restricted home visits until last Friday.
The Taoiseach stood firm on this approach, saying that people needed a break from restrictions.
However, the reality is that the culmination of what has happened in recent weeks means that the outlook for the next few days looks bleak.
In fact, the number of daily cases of Covid-19 could reach 2,000 on New Year’s Day. Those numbers have the potential to overwhelm the health service.
At present, there is only one silver lining for the government. It is the news that the first vaccines will be administered here next week.
It’s a flash of light at the end of the tunnel, but the next steps will be slow and dangerous for many.
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