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MEETINGS with alcohol have been identified as contributing to spikes in the largest spread of Covid-19 in the fall, according to government research.
But Taoiseach Micheál Martin has refused to be swayed by what this means to the prospect of pubs reopening before Christmas.
Martin said the government will decide how to get out of the Level 5 restrictions on Thursday or Friday.
And, when asked if ministers would be willing to deviate from the advice offered by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), he replied: “Nphet will obviously give his advice but the government will decide how we get out of level 5.”
Mr Martin said that Ireland is currently the second best country in the European Union in terms of having the fewest number of cases.
He said, “We have to get that into our heads. Level three and the household restrictions we brought in and then level 5 worked.”
He added: “We have dropped the numbers a lot. We want to go down. Of course we do. And we have another week to go back down the numbers.”
Martin said Ireland’s 14-day incidence rate as of yesterday was 109 cases per 100,000, while some EU countries have risen to 1,000 per 100,000.
He said the goal of the Covid-19 restrictions is to save lives and protect public health and livelihoods.
There will be a series of meetings across the government and with Nphet as ministers reflect on the goal of exiting the Level 5 restrictions that expire next week.
Martin said data for August, September and October are being examined, as well as international data on super spreader events.
He warned: “Meetings and congregations with alcohol events help facilitate the spread of the virus.”
Mr. Martin also said, “How we behave collectively is very, very important.
“What has emerged is that the move to restricting domestic visitors after we introduced Level 3 appears to have had an impact.
“So we have to take that into account as we move into December.”
Asked what his comments on alcohol meant for the reopening of pubs, he said: “I have not made any specific comments in relation to any specific sector.”
He said he was only describing a domestic and foreign investigation into “the combination of a series of events that certainly led to an increase in cases in early fall.”
Martin stressed that “no decisions have yet been made.”
He said he will meet with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan tonight and the Cabinet will meet tomorrow.
There will be more meetings, including with Nphet, as the week progresses, although Martin said ministers will also be busy in the Dáil with legislation designed to prepare the country for Brexit.
Mr. Martin said, “I am not going to go into detail about what will be open and what will not.
Suffice it to say that the Irish people have made a lot of sacrifices.
“This Level 5 has been differentWorship and restrictions in homes has been difficult for people …
“We understand that we understand that.
“But the good news is that what he is doing is working.
“We manage our hospitals in terms of ICU numbers, in terms of hospitalization.
“We have kept our schools open. That doesn’t mean achievement and construction have stayed open.”
He said people’s efforts have been effective and added: “We just have to keep it up.”
Martin said the prospect of vaccines on the horizon “is not a time to relax or to say that now we can take a step back.”
He said the National Vaccine Task Force will have a strategy on deployment ready for the government before December 11.
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