Prof Philip Nolan: Ireland moving towards ‘phased reopening’ of education

Professor Philip Nolan, chairman of the Nphet Irish epidemiological modelling advisory group, speaking during a Covid-19 update briefing at the Department of Health, in Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Ireland is progressing towards a place where the phased reopening of education can be considered, a medical chief has said.

Professor Philip Nolan said he hopes that by March 5, the end date for the current phase of restrictions, that the nation will be in “a much better place”.

The head of Nphet’s epidemiological modelling advisory group said Ireland could see a drop to 200-400 new cases of Covid-19 a day by the end of February.

Haulier George McGlashan, from Dungannon, Northern Ireland, prepares to be swabbed at RocDoc’s testing facility in the Blue Car Park of Dublin Airport (Brian Lawless/PA)

“If we are cautious I think there are certain high priority, lower risk things that we can do in March, April, May that will allow some opening up without a significant increase in the transmission of the virus,” he told RTE radio’s The Week programme.

“I think we can say given the huge progress that we have made as a community in suppressing the virus, we’re now approaching a level of disease in the community where it would be safe to think about an appropriately phased, cautious reopening of education.”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin (BBC/PA)

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also expressed a cautious approach, indicating that he does not see a “major reopening of the economy” on March 5.

He said a prolonged suppression of the virus would see primary schools reopened on a phased basis and construction reopening once cases dropped below 1,000 a day.

However he said that the hospitality sector could not reopen before an increased rollout of the vaccine project.

In terms of the vaccination programme, Mr Martin said Ireland is down 300,000 doses it was expecting from AstraZeneca, but he said it will pick up in May, June and July as increased supplies come in from Pfizer and Moderna and hopefully Johnson & Johnson.