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This summer will be one in which people socialize outdoors as much as they can and will continue to limit the number of social contacts, said the president of the advisory group of epidemiological models of the National Public Health Emergency Team.
Speaking on RTÉ This week, Professor Philip Nolan said that social contacts in the summer would not be as limited as they are now, but cautioned that it will be a summer of vacation and recreation at home.
He said it is “inappropriate” to give deadlines on restrictions that can be lifted if daily cases reach a certain number on a certain date.
The reason, said Professor Nolan, is “we can’t know that” because now it’s dealing with “essentially a new virus.”
He said the variant first detected in the UK is different from the one Ireland faced last year and it is difficult to know when the numbers will drop to less than 100 cases a day.
Acknowledging the general slowdown in progress in suppressing the virus, he said there is still some movement in the right direction.
“The seven-day average is 800 cases per day, and a week ago it was 930, so we are still making progress,” he said.
Professor Nolan said that if that continues, the country will be on track to be below 100 daily cases sometime in April.
“We need to move on and hope, but it will take time and it is a reality.”
He said that the gradual return to classroom education is a priority now, and when cases are substantially lower, then it is sought in which areas of the economy can resume activity.
He said “a certain mix of homes” will be required for people’s mental health.
Professor Nolan also said that some sectors, such as retail or construction, are considered safer than others, so they will logically open earlier than other sectors when it is deemed safe to do so.
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Meanwhile, preparations are underway to accelerate the vaccination rollout with 100,000 doses to be administered next week, representing a 20,000 increase in the number of people inoculated last week.
Yesterday, the head of the High Level Working Group on Covid-19 Vaccination said that Ireland is on track to distribute one million doses per month during April, May and June.
“At the moment, we expect more than a million a month in April, May and June. We are expanding the infrastructure, locations and staff to allow us, as we have done so far, to do this,” said Professor Brian MacCraith.
“These are exciting times, we will have more than 3 million vaccines administered during April, May and June.”
Professor MacCraith was speaking at The Helix at DCU, where the first major community vaccination effort was taking place, as 960 seniors, 85 years and older, received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
He said the public will start to see the expansion in the coming weeks, with 80,000 doses administered last week and 100,000 planned for the next.
Meanwhile, a group of scientists and academics has accused the government of not having a coherent strategy to deal with the pandemic.
In a statement this morning, the Independent Group for Scientific Defense calls for what it describes as adequate resourcing and autonomy for public health units across the country, and the provision of supported hotel quarantine for all newcomers by sea. and air.
“By not having a coherent strategy, the government has given us all the pain without the gain. With a well-articulated strategy we can work together toward a goal and avoid repeating the mistakes of 2020,” the statement concluded.
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