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The Taoiseach Micheál Martin included a lot in his television speech last night on the steps of government buildings.
He praised the “massive national effort” during the Level 5 restrictions; He described his Level 3 plan for Christmas; and asked for personal responsibility.
However, a few things were left unsaid, in particular: what happens between January and the general availability of a vaccine?
After all, the New Year is only 34 days away.
In fairness, the speech was titled: “Ireland Placed on Level 3 of the Plan to Live with Covid-19, with special measures for a safe Christmas.”
And it also gave an idea of how the vaccine will be implemented.
The Taoiseach said a National Vaccine Task Force “is already working”; the country is ready to “act quickly and effectively to implement safe vaccines”; and “distribution will be prompt, complete and fair.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says that a national vaccine task force is working and that the distribution of safe vaccines will be “swift, comprehensive and fair.” Says Vaccines Will Not Eliminate Virus On Their Own, Basic Control Measures Will Still Be Needed | https://t.co/b37v48bGRI pic.twitter.com/AkAMyBsauR
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 27, 2020
But between then and now? Well, Micheál Martin turned to general advice which, although accurate, does not provide many new ideas.
He said: “Each of us has a responsibility to manage risk.”
To bolster her case, the Taoiseach added that older people, the business, artistic and cultural communities, and our children all “trust the rest of us to be responsible.”
Just a few days earlier, the Tananist Leo Varadkar was telling the Dail about the possibility of another confinement.
He told TDs, “You can’t rule that out. We’ve seen how the virus, once it reaches a certain point, can grow back exponentially.”
The Tánaiste added: “If it happens, we intend it to be much shorter, more like two or three weeks than the six we have lived through.”
Professor Sam McConkey highlighted the possibility of a yo-yo economy, in which restrictions are imposed, lifted, and then re-imposed.
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He expressed concern on RTE’s Six One News last night that the easing of restrictions was going too far, saying, “I am concerned that we will end up in a third wave.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald welcomed the easing of restrictions announced by the Taoiseach, but qualified her comments by saying that the government had to do the testing and tracking “well”.
The Taoiseach noted, in his speech last night, that “key lessons” had been learned from the first wave of Covid-19 and that is why the hospital’s capacity was maintained during the second wave despite schools, care Children’s and construction sites have been open for the past five weeks.
He and the Cabinet were also under incredible pressure to reopen the economy.
Some companies earn between 30% and 50% of their annual profits during the Christmas period.
The reopening of the economy means that between 100,000 and 150,000 people can go back to work.
The ministers also said they were particularly swayed by troubling data from the Central Statistical Office on the duplication of mental health problems.
Towards the end of his speech, the Taoiseach said: “The Government and I are pleased that this combination of new arrangements strikes a safe balance between keeping the pressure on the disease and creating a space for families, friends and loved ones to be together this Christmas. “
But what happens on January 1? What is the medium-term strategy that will allow us to keep our economy open and avoid blockages?
We didn’t learn much last night.
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