[ad_1]
Ministers are divided on easing the 5km travel restriction next month as concerns mount about the country’s progress in the battle against Covid-19.
Public health chiefs indicated Thursday night that advice against nonessential foreign travel and working from home will continue until the end of June, as talks about resuming the AstraZeneca vaccine continued overnight after a favorable review from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Several high-level sources this week expressed pessimism about recent progress on key metrics: hospitalizations, vaccinations and cases.
No decision has been made on whether the 5km restriction will be lifted on April 5. Some in Cabinet believe that the incidence of Covid-19 is not low enough to justify relaxation, while others believe that the Government will lose vital public participation without a change.
Another 582 cases of the disease were reported Thursday and no new deaths were recorded. Professor Philip Nolan, Chairman of Ireland’s Epidemiological Modeling Advisory Group, said the breeding number, a measure of how many other people a case infects, is between 0.8 and 1.1.
Plateau
The key indicators are in a “period of stagnation,” he said, with stagnating figures over the past 10 days linked to an increase in mobility, while there has been a “clear and significant” increase in attendance at the site of work.
A government source said an easing of restrictions along Northern Ireland lines is “the best we can hope for at the moment.” Across the border, the focus is on small outdoor gatherings and some sporting activities, as well as certain click and pickup services. The reopening of construction remains at stake here.
It comes as the EMA paved the way for countries to restart the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Several states, including Ireland, had stopped due to concerns about a small number of clotting incidents. Irish authorities said seven blood clotting events have been reported after vaccination, but not at a higher level than expected.
EMA Director Emer Cooke said “tomorrow he will be vaccinated with AstraZeneca,” although the agency will insist on new warnings about the risk of clotting and ongoing research on the subject. Attention now shifts to the recommendation of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (CANI), which guides the government on vaccines.
Restart
A recommendation is expected on Friday, with France, Italy, Germany and Spain signaling that they would restart shooting. High-level political sources suggested the vaccine could be back in use over the weekend, although HSE sources believe it could take several days, especially if CANI’s advice is nuanced.
Meanwhile, the opposition asks Taoiseach Micheál Martin to clarify whether he sought vaccines on loan from the United States during a call with President Joe Biden. Washington has confirmed that it will ship four million vaccines to Canada and Mexico under a loan agreement.
Labor Party leader Alan Kelly said Mr. Martin should clarify “whether he even broached the issue of a loan of some vaccines from the United States.” A spokesman for Martin said the allocation of vaccines in the United States “is a matter for the United States government alone. It is understood that Mr. Biden raised the Canadian and Mexican vaccine supply situation during his call with the Taoiseach, while Mr. Martin explained the issues facing Ireland and the EU.
[ad_2]