Taoiseach warns of level-5  restrictions for at least next two months

Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking after his visit to the HSE public vaccination centre being set up at Cork's City Hall. Picture: Larry Cummins

The Taoiseach has warned of ongoing level 5-type restrictions and of a “cautious approach” for at least the next two months.

Micheál Martin was speaking in Cork on Friday night as he visited a public vaccination centre which has been built in City Hall to facilitate mass vaccination when more vaccines arrive.

It includes 30 vaccination booths and a post-vaccination observation area. When fully operational, it will have the capability to operate seven days a week, delivering up to 2,400 vaccinations a day.

However, it won’t become operational until the availability of vaccines increases. Work will begin next week on the vaccination of the over-85s by GPs, who will also lead out on the vaccination of the over-70s age-group.

Mr Martin said: “What we are witnessing here is a further stage in the battle against the virus – it represents a significant ramping-up of preparations for a mass vaccination of our population when additional vaccines become available.

"The variant is a factor in maintaining the level of restrictions – there is caution in public health about this.

If the variant is now making up about 70% of all our cases, making for a far quicker spread, and given that we are rolling out the vaccines, it does make sense that we knuckle down.

“As the vaccines are rolled out, mortality will go down, severe illness will go down, and as we vaccinate the more vulnerable and the more senior of our citizens, we will be in a good space in a relatively short space of time.

“Why would we risk all of that for the sake of a number of weeks?” 

The vaccination centre at Cork's City Hall. Picture: Larry Cummins

He said the Government would consider the type and form of restrictions in more detail the week after next – but he said people would face restrictions similar to level 5 beyond March 5.

“But at the end of quarter one, we should have about 1.1m vaccines doses administered – go forward another month, we will have volumes coming, and quarter two should be a significant month in terms of vaccinations — we will have more room for choice as the vaccination rolls out,” he said.

Mr Martin defended the pace of the roll-out relative to other European countries, and insisted the State is administering vaccines as they arrive.

He also insisted that much of the administrative back-up required for a mass vaccination programme is now in place.

 "It is a key part now of the battle against the virus – it offers great hope to people in terms of the challenges that people have had to overcome over the last year and I think notwithstanding the fact that we have a dangerous variant in terms of its transmissibility and perhaps its virulence as well – we also have a vaccine and we also have the restrictions and in many ways,” he said.

 "We are looking at a phased return of schools and some sectors of construction – we will be guided by public health advice.”