[ad_1]
The decision to allow people to visit relatives in other parts of the country during Christmas will only be made “a few weeks” before the holidays, the health minister said.
As the Irish Examiner reports, Stephen Donnelly expects the country to drop to level 1 by the end of December, but said Christmas restrictions will largely depend on the spread of the virus at that time.
Donnelly has also ruled out any extensions to the midterm school recess later this month.
When specifically asked if people will be allowed to return to other parts of the country at Christmas, Donnelly said:
“Essentially, the question is when will we know what level the country is at on December 25 or during the Christmas period and its surroundings? And that is something that will be looked at very closely at that time.
“It really depends on where the epidemiological situation is at the time and I would say that based on what we’ve seen so far, we usually look a few weeks ahead, certainly around now it would be impossible for anyone to predict what the level of the disease will be asked at the end of December.
“What I want to see, what everyone wants to see is push down and we can all have a great Christmas,” he said.
Mid-term break
In response to reports that schools could be closed for two weeks instead of one on Halloween, Donnelly said there are no plans to extend the recess.
“There won’t be a longer mid-term break.”
He added: “It is based on very good news from the schools, the teachers, the principals, the schools have done an incredible job.
“I had a briefing this weekend on where we are, and the evidence that I am delighted to be able to say is that schools are not contributing to an increase in numbers.
“If you look at the number of school-age children who have had the virus or contracted it before and after schools open, they are more or less the same. So the reports I get are that the schools are safe,” they are safe. for children, there is a very low level of transmission. “
Earlier today, State Minister for Continuing and Higher Education Niall Collins said he wanted to “bang on the head” the idea that schools may be closed for a longer period of time than usual.
“There are absolutely no plans to close our schools beyond the traditional week-long break around Halloween,” said Fianna Fáil TD.
“All the public health advice that is available clearly shows that schools are not a problem in terms of Covid transmission,” Collins said, adding that the country owes it to children to keep schools open and bring normalcy into their lives. .
[ad_2]