Message to the unvaccinated: Behave like there is still a 2km travel limit
Hospitals are now near the point of cancelling scheduled care and procedures due to increased presentations at emergency departments while Covid-19 cases have reached levels last seen during the deadly third wave of the virus.
People who are not fully vaccinated are the "new vulnerable" and should live the coming weeks "like it is March 2020", the Tánaiste has warned.
Hospitals are now near the point of cancelling scheduled care and procedures due to increased presentations at emergency departments while Covid-19 cases have reached levels last seen during the deadly third wave of the virus.
A total of 994 new cases were reported yesterday with the number of Covid patients in hospitals also increasing — from 38 over the past three weeks to 80 — while the number of people in Intensive Care Units rose from 13 to 22 during that time.
Issuing a stark warning, Leo Varadkar said the Delta variant poses a huge threat to those who have yet to receive their complete vaccination, urging them to act as they did back in March and April of last year when a 2km travel limit was imposed and people were asked to only leave their homes for essential reasons.
"At the start of the pandemic, older people were those most at risk and we asked them to stay at home and that saved lots of lives and prevented a lot of illness," said Mr Varadkar.
"Now unvaccinated people of all ages are the ones who are most at risk. These are people who are not fully vaccinated.
"They are the new vulnerable, and they are at greater risk over the next few weeks than at any point since this pandemic began. I need to emphasise that very strongly.
"That's a hard thing to say. But it is the truth".
Despite the warning, the Government is still pressing ahead with the resumption of indoor hospitality later this month and senior officials are drafting the finer details of how it will work.
A time limit of one hour and 45 minutes will be eased or could even be scrapped completely for indoor dining and drinking when pubs and restaurants are allowed to fully reopen.
While children will be allowed to accompany parents and guardians who are fully vaccinated, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan advised the unvaccinated, including children, to continue to avoid high-risk, uncontrolled indoor settings, including indoor hospitality when this returns.
The Tánaiste said that there is "no doubt" that indoor hospitality will reopen as planned on Monday, July 26, but he added that another winter of restrictions is likely before the Covid pandemic is fully seen off.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has also been asked to examine the resumption of religious ceremonies, such as communions and confirmations, and to come back to the Government in the next two weeks.
"We will also ask Nphet to look again at the issue of indoor summer camps and whether they could be done in September with the same precautions as we apply in schools," Mr Varadkar said.
He said he understands how people would see it as contradictory that the Government is warning people to be careful while planning further reopenings, but he stressed the profile of the pandemic has changed.
More than 70% of the adult population have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and almost 60% of adults are now fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, people aged 24 to 29 can register online for vaccination from today.
Dr Holohan said the vaccine rollout is "of course good news and a great cause for hope", but he said there is still a significant cohort of the population who are not yet fully vaccinated, or as is the case with children, for whom vaccination is still a little way off and subject to future guidance.
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