Under 18s could be allowed dine indoors with vaccinated adults

People enjoying outdoor dining in Dublin city today as uncertainty about the re-opening of indoor hospitality remains

Those under the age of 18 may be allowed inside restaurants and bars in the company of someone who is fully vaccinated, under plans being brought to Cabinet.

The Government is currently working on ways to allow for the resumption of indoor dining later this month after the planned reopening on July 5 was 'paused' due to concern over the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

RTÉ News has reported that as part of a plan to be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday, those under the age of 18, who are presently unable to obtain a vaccine, will be allowed into bars and restaurants provided they are accompanied by a vaccinated person. If the proposal is sanctioned by Cabinet it will allow for families to dine indoors during the latter half of the summer.

When the idea was put to Junior Minister Colm Brophy at lunchtime today on the Saturday with Katie Hannon show, he said that it was something he was aware of and that made sense. Responding to reports that diners would be limited to stays of one-hour and 45 minutes, and that indoor tables would have to be kept one meter apart, Mr Brophy said those conditions were similar to the regulations that were in place last summer and which had worked well.

Officials are understood to be examining a system that would enable restaurants and bars to download an app that could read the QR codes on the EU Digital Cert, which will be issued from Monday next. A similar system is currently in operation in the Netherlands.

A sign outside a restaurant in Rathgar, Dublin

It is widely expected that on Tuesday Cabinet will make a decision on the reopening of indoor hospitality, as it is coming under sustained pressure from industry representatives to put a plan in place.

However, there is no agreement yet on the date, with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar suggesting that reopening should happen on July 19, while Taoiseach Micheál Martin is said to favour reopening a week later.

When pressed on a date for reopening, Mr Brophy told Katie Hannon that it could be as late as July 26, but he hoped it would happen before then. 

He also said that a vaccine pass or digital cert was not something the Government wanted as a first option. But he pointed out that the Government is trying to take into account the advice from Nphet, the industry situation in terms of employment and business owners, and people's desire for a plan that will allow for a safe reopening.

It is understood inspections of the sector will take place to ensure the system is being implemented and that business owners will be given protection if customers seek to enter without a certificate.

On the issue of vaccinating children, the Fine Gael TD said it was something that parents and the Government were going to have to have a long discussion about.

When asked when would a call centre to help people with questions on the Covid digital cert be up and running, he was unable to give an exact date. Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly said, given that international travel is set to resume on July 19, it was another example of 'last-minute.com' from the Government.

Paul Reid (left) said keeping hospitalisations at a low level presents a big challenge.

Meanwhile, the HSE's chief executive has said keeping hospitalisations from coronavirus at a low level presents a "big challenge" for the health service.

In a tweet, the HSE chief said we "want to protect where we're at, for now," adding that 55% of adults are now fully vaccinated from the coronavirus while 70% have had at least one dose.

Over 55% of the adult population now fully vaccinated & 70% partially. Over 275,000 vaccinations administered this week so far. Holding at 50 #COVID19 patients in hospital with 15 in ICU. A big challenge but we all want to protect where we're at, for now. @HSELive

— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) July 10, 2021

His comments came just before a further 581 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed this afternoon, with 52 people now in hospital with the virus, up two from yesterday.

There are 16 patients with the virus in ICU, up one from yesterday. 

Today’s figures did not indicate whether there have been any further deaths connected to the virus.

Yesterday, Professor Philip Nolan said that while vaccines are offering protection, the numbers in hospitals are “trending upwards”.

Prof Nolan said covid-19 case numbers are increasing in Ireland at a rate of about 3% per day.