Tánaiste says delayed reopening is 'not inevitable', as 305 further Covid cases confirmed

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is to meet later today and then give advice to Government.

There have been 305 cases of Covid-19 reported by the Department of Health.

There are 49 people hospitalised with the virus, with 16 in intensive care units.

A three-week delay in the re-opening of indoor hospitality until July 26 is being considered by Government despite Tánaiste Leo Varadkar saying a delay is “not inevitable”.

Speaking at Government Buildings in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said the Government will make a decision on Tuesday in order to give the hospitality sector the clarity it has sought ahead of July 5, when indoor spaces were due to re-open.

His remarks came in the context of another record week for vaccination numbers.

Over 4m doses of Covid-19 vaccines have now been administered, Professor Brian MacCraith said.

Two major milestones reached in the vaccine rollout:

>4M doses administered

highest weekly total to date ~350k

— Brian MacCraith (@muirtheimhne) June 28, 2021

HSE chief Paul Reid said that almost 350,000 doses were given last week.

Paul Reid said that in four of the past seven days, 54,000 doses were administered.

“Almost 110,000 of these were 2nd dose AstraZeneca. Another strong week ahead based on supplies,” he added.

Last week we administered our highest level of vaccinations to date at almost 350,000. In 4 of the past 7 days we administered over 54,000. Almost 110,000 of these were 2nd dose Astrazeneca. Another strong week ahead based on supplies. @HSELive

— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) June 28, 2021

 

Government sources have expressed some bemusement at Mr Varadkar’s comments about reopening, saying behind the scenes “a very different story is being told”.

“As of Sunday night, the conversation was very much in the space of a delay and a three-week delay,” said one senior government source.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is to meet later today and then give advice to Government.

Mr Varadkar said there will be economic impact assessment given to the three-party leaders who are due to meet on Monday evening.

“There will be an economic and social impact analysis that's done at each of these decision points, I haven't seen it yet. It is the case that where I think the only country or certainly one of our needs is a very small number of countries in the European Union that doesn't allow indoor dining,” he said.

“The United States does as well, but we are also conscious of the fact that other countries are running into real trouble as a consequence of Delta. We see what's happening in Russia, for example. We see what's happening in Australia. Just because everywhere else in Europe has done something or not done something doesn't mean that we should do the same but we do have to take that into account."

Mr Varadkar said he will await the Nphet briefing before he makes his decision as what to do.

“I'm going to get to see the data, and listen to the evidence. I don't have that yet so we don't have the advice yet from Nphet, we haven't seen the modelling. We don't have the advice so what I'll do is look at the evidence during the presentations ask some questions,” he said.

“We'll come to a decision then, and I don't really want to pre-empt that until we've had that we've had that advice and had that discussion."

Vaccines

Nphet will also meet with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) which has been asked to examine whether the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccines should be given to people under the age of 50.

The two jabs are currently not given to younger adults in Ireland as a precautionary measure in response to rare incidences of blood clotting.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris earlier said: “We’re going to find ourselves in a very peculiar situation in this country where shortly we’ll end up with an excess supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and indeed in July potentially with an excess supply of the J&J vaccine, with no arms to put them in.” 

He added that some three million doses of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are due to arrive in Ireland in the third quarter of the year, and also said he expects a decision on the easing of restrictions, including indoor dining, to be made tomorrow.