Case of months of ‘sustainable’ Covid-19 restrictions while the vulnerable are vaccinated

TÁNAISTE LEO VARADKAR has suggested that the arrival of the first deliveries of the Covid-19 vaccine could present a case for longer restrictions while it is administered to those most at risk of contracting the virus.

He also indicated that the new Covid-19 restrictions introduced in the last week will be in effect beyond mid-January.

The government announced last week that it was reintroducing Level 5 restrictions in response to the rapidly increasing number of cases, and a review of those restrictions will take place on January 12.

However, Varadkar told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland that he believed the new guidelines would likely be in place for longer.

He warned that with the new restrictions introduced in recent days, and with the ban on home visits not due to start until Friday, the number of cases likely won’t drop until the middle of next month.

When specifically asked if he thought the new restrictions could be lowered by the time the government reviews them, the Tánaiste answered no.

“Since the restrictions are only coming in now, I don’t think we will start to see the numbers drop until the first or second week of January, therefore they would not have dropped enough by January 12,” he said.

The Tánaiste defended the government’s schedule for the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine, the first doses of which arrived in Ireland on Saturday, following criticism that patients were beginning to be vaccinated immediately in other countries.

He said the government is taking its time to implement the vaccine to ensure the correct training and education procedures are in place, as well as issues such as consent and public information about the vaccine.

Varadkar also claimed that the availability of the vaccine changed the situation in Ireland because it was known when people most at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus would be inoculated.

He suggested that “sustainable” restrictions could be in place for several months, rather than lifting and reintroducing new restrictions every few weeks as cases rise and fall.

“There will be a case of telling the Irish people, you know, maybe we should keep these restrictions in place until we have protected our health workers and our most vulnerable,” he said.

“But again, that speaks to a separate issue: If the restrictions are going to be in place for an extended period, not a few weeks, but maybe a few months, they must be sustainable.”

He said the goal of lifting the restrictions would be to reduce the number of cases and an R number below one, as well as for hospitals not to be under pressure.

Varadkar added that the government will not reconsider reopening schools next week unless the National Public Health Emergency Team gives it specific advice to do so.