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The Taoiseach has said he foresees a cycle of rolling level Covid-19 restrictions as the country tries to halt the spread of the virus.<\/p>\nThe Taoiseach has said he foresees a cycle of rolling level Covid-19 restrictions as the country tries to halt the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n
Miche\u00e1l Martin said he recognized that the introduction of Level 5 restrictions would create a \u201clot of anxiety and difficulties\u201d for workers and would come as a \u201chuge blow\u201d for people, in particular business owners who have been endeavoring to save their livelihoods since the last lockdown.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, ministers agreed to impose the highest level of restrictions under the Government\u2019s five-level plan from midnight on Wednesday for six weeks in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just being very candid with the Oireachtas, I do foresee a period where you have periods of higher level restrictions, followed by lower level restrictions, and if necessary, followed by higher level restrictions again if the virus continues (and) spreads during the reopening phase,\u201d Mr Martin told the D\u00e1il.<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach said the measures were \u201cnecessary\u201d because the \u201cvirus thrives on congregation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere large crowds gather together the virus spreads,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the fundamental truth and therefore we have to avoid large crowds gathering in any context and moving and engaging.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProtection of public health is paramount,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin also told the D\u00e1il that it would be \u201cvery challenging\u201d to achieve the National Public Health Emergency Team\u2019s (Nphet) target of reducing the Covid-19 reproductive number to 0.5, by the end of the six weeks of level five restrictions.<\/p>\n
But the aim he said was to get the \u201ctrajectory going downwards\u201d to a point where the R number was \u201cwell below one\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach was responding to Labour\u2019s Alan Kelly who called on the Government to publish \u201cmetric and measurements\u201d of what the Government needed to achieve before returning the country to Level 3 or Level 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about giving people hope,\u201d Mr Kelly said.<\/p>\n
On Monday the Taoiseach said he expected the country would have to live with Covid-19 for the \u201centirety of 2021\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Labour leader Alan Kelly said the introduction of rapid testing for Covid-19 would be a significant \u201cgame-changer\u201d especially if carried out in schools, sports organizations and other social and work settings.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin\u2019s comments in the D\u00e1il come as ministers were urged to clarify guidance on \u201csocial bubbles\u201d which limits them to people who have \u201cmental health challenges\u201d.<\/p>\n
As part of its second lockdown strategy, the Government said it would introduce the concept to ease isolation issues.<\/p>\n
The single household bubbles are designed to ease loneliness.<\/p>\n
However, in guidance published today, the Government limited the bubbles to those who live alone and have \u201cmental health challenges\u201d.<\/p>\n
Others permitted to form a bubble include single parents, those who are sharing parenting or custody arrangements, those who live with a partner who has dementia, and those who live alone but have a carer.<\/p>\n
Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan, who mooted the idea recently, queried why an individual has to have a mental health challenge to qualify for the measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch into social bubbling is that it is a way of decreasing our isolation and loneliness, but not contributing to the spread of the virus,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people aren\u2019t going to necessarily want to define themselves as having mental health challenges and I think the Government needs to clarify that people who are in single households can bubble with other people in another single household.\u201d<\/p>\n
The countrywide restrictions will come into force from midnight on Wednesday and last until December 1st.<\/p>\n