{"id":24837,"date":"2022-01-16T09:52:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T14:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24837"},"modified":"2022-01-18T08:53:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T13:53:44","slug":"varadkar-expects-restrictions-to-ease-from-end-of-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24837","title":{"rendered":"Varadkar Expects Restrictions To Ease From End Of Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar said he hoped that some restrictions might be lifted \u2018soon\u2019 (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar has said he expects a \u201cphased\u201d reopening of society from the end of January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strict Covid-19 measures, including the closure of nightclubs and a curfew for hospitality venues, were introduced late last year amid fears about the spread of the Omicron variant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Sunday, the T\u00e1naiste said he hoped that some restrictions might be lifted \u201csoon\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the National Public Health Emergency Team are expected to meet on Thursday to discuss the latest in the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland is still recording high case numbers, with 965 Covid-positive patients in hospital and 88 people in intensive care as of Sunday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Varadkar said he believed Ireland was \u201ccoming to the point where we also need to move on, and we\u2019ve had very strict restrictions in Ireland for two years now. Last summer, and the summer before that, we had the strictest rules\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cI don\u2019t think that should be the case this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be pushing for a more ambitious, quicker reopening over the next couple of months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing risky, nothing reckless, certainly something that\u2019s in line with our European peers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The T\u00e1naiste said he did not expect all restrictions to end overnight at the end of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it will be phased. I don\u2019t anticipate that we\u2019ll just remove all restrictions at the end of January or the start of February. I think it will be a phased process over the next couple of months,\u201d Mr Varadkar told RT\u00c9 radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he said that Ireland was among only a handful of countries where it had not been possible to go into the office or stand at a bar for two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The T\u00e1naiste said he hoped all restrictions could ease later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cOn many occasions we\u2019ve acted out of an abundance of caution. But sometimes an abundance of caution can be an excess of caution. And we need to avoid that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Mr Varadkar warned: \u201cWe need to make sure that we are able to respond rapidly as well if there is a resurgence of the virus and that is a possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said it was yet to be determined if some people may require a fourth dose of the vaccine.<\/p>\n

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