{"id":23522,"date":"2021-10-17T09:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-17T13:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23522"},"modified":"2021-10-18T10:02:07","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T14:02:07","slug":"martin-government-not-considering-reintroducing-pandemic-restrictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23522","title":{"rendered":"Martin: Government Not Considering Reintroducing Pandemic Restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin (Niall Carson\/PA) <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Government is not contemplating the re-imposition of Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland, the Taoiseach has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin insisted the vaccine rollout had put Ireland in a different situation from earlier in the pandemic, despite rising infection rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2,180 cases of coronavirus reported on Saturday was the highest number since January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Mr Martin has insisted new measures are not on the horizon, he has already cautioned that he cannot guarantee the lifting of the remaining restrictions will proceed as planned this coming Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That warning last week came after health experts flagged concerns about the trajectory of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Mr Martin said introducing further restrictions was not being considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do not want to go back, and we are not contemplating going backwards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe only issue facing us now is going forward and that is a decision we will make on the advice we receive from Nphet (National Public Health Emergency Team).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the country was in a \u201ccompletely different situation\u201d than it was earlier in the pandemic because over 90% of the population was vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said while it was not the Government intention to go backwards in terms of restrictions, the \u201conly caveat\u201d he would attach to that was the \u201ctwists and turns\u201d of the vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nphet will meet on Monday to consider what recommendations it will make to Cabinet in relation to Friday\u2019s scheduled lifting of remaining restrictions, such as social distancing rules in the hospitality sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Immunization Advisory Committee (Niac) is also set to meet on Monday to consider whether the vaccine booster program should be expanded beyond the over-80 age cohort and those with suppressed immunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said he would favor an expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight now we are only administering the booster to over-80s and those who are auto-immune-suppressed,\u201d he told the Sunday Independent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I would like to see that expanded. And to healthcare workers too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taoiseach indicated he would not favor any move to make vaccination mandatory for healthcare workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe voluntary nature of our vaccination program has been an outstanding success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday, a senior HSE official said levels of Covid-19 transmission in Ireland remained \u201cuncomfortably high\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said the health service was set for a \u201cdifficult winter\u201d as staff continued to deal with coronavirus while attempting to return other services to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Dr Henry said the success of the vaccine program had put Ireland in a very \u201cdifferent position\u201d from earlier in the pandemic, highlighting that high numbers of infections were not now translating into the same number of hospitalizations that were witnessed during the three big waves of infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Henry said the decision on lifting of restrictions was no longer a \u201cbinary choice\u201d given the effectiveness of vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He suggested vaccine certification could be a mitigation measure to enable nightclubs to reopen but he stressed those were decisions for the Government to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday morning, there were 406 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom 71 were in intensive care.<\/p>\n

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