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There is a fear that stubbornly high new Covid-19 cases mean the public will have to wait at least six more weeks before a significant easing of restrictions is likely.
Experts from the medical emergencies advisory committee, Nphet, are meeting today to finalize their latest advice to the government, which they will then relay to the Covid-19 Cabinet subcommittee meeting tonight. Those ministers will bring the results of the two meetings to the cabinet tomorrow for the final decision.
It occurs when there were no signs of an improvement in the number of new cases of the virus with 604 reported yesterday. Another 13 deaths were also confirmed.
Two well-placed government sources have said that only “minimal changes” will be announced tomorrow, taking effect as promised a week later, on April 5.
Officials noted that over the past three weeks, the numbers of new cases of the virus remain stubbornly high.
“It is the government’s job to consider issues other than medicine and science. But this time there is a strong feeling that Nphet’s advice will prevail,” a government source told the Irish independent.
“The biggest hope will be the change in May, depending on the launch of the vaccine going ahead as planned. But it seems likely that there will be major changes in the latter part of May,” said another source.
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the government has “very limited scope” to ease coronavirus restrictions and told RTÉ radio that ministers will take a “cautious” approach.
“What we are trying to ensure is that we will not allow a fourth wave of Covid spread to occur between now and when the majority of adults in the country will be vaccinated,” he said.
“I would hope, but I can’t be sure, that we would be looking at the 5km restriction, that we would be looking for outdoor activities, that we would certainly want to facilitate a full return to school for children after April 5.”
One minister said that both the medical experts in Nphet and the government are “well aware that the people are tired of the confinement.”
The main focus of hope will be on what relief from restrictions is possible in May.
“But as things stand, we are looking at mid to late May,” said another source.
There are It is speculated that cookouts in pubs and restaurants serving food may be allowed in mid-May, along with reopening of non-essential stores and travel across the country.
Coveney said he believed that by mid-July most people will be vaccinated and this could lead to a much more positive image.
A spokesperson for the Taoiseach was uncompromising with reports that the UK may be willing to share vaccines with Ireland in an effort to ensure that easing of restrictions in Northern Ireland is not hampered.
An Irish government spokesman said: “The UK has previously indicated that once it has achieved a high level of vaccination of its own population, it would consider sharing vaccines with other countries. We are not aware of any specific plans to share vaccines with Ireland at this stage. “
Mr Coveney said that while the UK had skyrocketed in the administration of first strokes, the proportion of second strokes delivered there was not dramatically higher than in Ireland. He said that, on that basis, Ireland was less likely to get advance supplies from the UK.
Visit our Covid-19 Vaccine Dashboard for updates on the vaccination program launch and the Ireland coronavirus case rate
Online editors
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