Level 5 lockdown will be extended next week



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Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions appear to be extended next week, while ministers have been warned that the AstraZeneca delivery schedule is not yet known.

The ministers will discuss the revision of the country’s restrictions, which expire on January 31 next week, but cabinet sources say they will be extended.

While there is no clarity on exactly when the restrictions will be lifted, sources say it could be a “number of weeks”.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet memorandum discussed yesterday by ministers, seen by the Irish Examiner, reveals that the arrival dates for the AstraZeneca vaccine “are not yet finalized.”

This revelation casts doubt on the government’s schedule, as the Cabinet approved a € 91 million plan to allow GPs and pharmacists to administer the vaccine to some 1.5 million people.

The memorandum presented to the cabinet yesterday by the Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly, establishes that the delivery deadline of the 3.3 million doses, enough to vaccinate more than 1.6 million people, is expected to be in the middle of February, but warns that it is not safe.

“The company has informed HSE that deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine can be expected in mid-February, but the date or dates for this are not yet available as the delivery schedule has not yet been finalized,” the memo says.

“A decision by the European Medicines Agency on the conditional marketing authorization of the AstraZeneca vaccine can be made on 29 January. Ireland will receive an allocation of 3.3 million doses of AstraZeneca in accordance with the signed advance purchase agreement” .

Donnelly said on Sunday that the government was in talks to receive these doses before approval from the European Medicines Agency, scheduled for January 29.

However, the European Commission poured cold water on this idea, and a spokesperson told the Irish Examiner that while vaccines can be delivered within hours after approval, they cannot be delivered in advance.

“Vaccines cannot be delivered earlier[the] The European Medicines Agency presents its recommendation for authorization and the commission grants the marketing authorization. This is a requirement under the advance purchase agreement. “

The vaccination program agreed yesterday will allow GPs and pharmacists to dispense vaccines, when available.

Community centers and sports halls are expected to be used as mass vaccination clinics.

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