Daniel McConnell: Let's hope reopening is the beginning of the end

After 22 months, the patience of a weary public has been beyond tested and the good news of reopening is a moment to savour. Photo: Larry Cummins

Whether it is or isn’t the end, this is a watershed moment in this country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just three short weeks ago, the national conversation was one of enhanced restrictions, a risk of schools not reopening and a repeat of the bleak lockdown of early 2021.

Thankfully, the Omicron threat came and went without our hospital system being overwhelmed. That has allowed the effective ending of “almost all” Covid-19 restrictions starting this weekend. In that three-week period, there has been a distinct shift in tone from our political leaders.

From limiting movements and telling us that meeting up on New Year’s Eve was “unsafe” to now needing to reopen society quickly for the good of our people — it's some turnaround.

Look at Leo Varadkar’s comments to a private meeting of his parliamentary party on Tuesday, where he made clear the time to open up has come. He singled out the impact Covid-19 on young people.

"They haven't had the rite of passage that is normal for young adults for about two years now. They're seeing their friends on Instagram having much more normal lives in London, in New York, and Dubai, and people are finding it very difficult,” he said.

“We've seen very strict rules around all those things for two years now, probably the only country in the world where it hasn't been possible to stand in a bar for two years or to go to your office. With the exception of about three weeks, it's been very hard to attend a concert or a gig or nightclub or a full stadium,” he said.

He followed an expansive interview with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly where he said he expected a faster than previously expected reopening, as did Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

Unlike in the past, when ministers were slow to pre-empt the advice of chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan, this week a clear message was being sent from within the Cabinet.

The political masters were seeking to wrestle back control of the narrative from their public health advisors who have been guilty of springing surprises at various times in this pandemic. They were making it clear what they wanted to hear.

No more Nphet soap opera

Some in Government, even on the Fine Gael side, have pointed to interventions by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, since the New Year as to why things have changed.

They point to Monday, January 3, when Martin held a meeting with Dr Holohan in advance of Nphet’s meeting that week, rather than waiting until after the scheduled Nphet get-together.

Those government figures have said such a meeting and similar interactions since have allowed Martin to take control of the narrative away from the soap opera of letters to government after Nphet meetings.

This week, it was important from a government perspective that it was Martin articulating the message rather than awaiting the leaks from the letter.

Sources have said that with Martin, rather than Donnelly, keeping a much closer eye on Nphet, it has made it much harder for them to dictate the pace of the conversation.

What is clear is that the tolerance for Nphet’s ultra-cautious approach has run out within Cabinet and such comments from ministers and Martin in public are not coincidental. Whereas before, we would have had plenty of ministers sniping about Nphet’s behaviour, the tone has been far more collegiate of late.

This reflects a greater degree of confidence among the politicians, not necessarily dismissing Nphet, but certainly forcing the conversation into one that is far more grounded in economic and societal reality.

The additional restrictions introduced before Christmas, including the dubious 8pm curfew on hospitality, were introduced on a precautionary basis.
Once Stephen Donnelly declared the peak of the Omicron wave had passed, the basis for retaining restrictions fell away immediately.

Now, those who have railed against the highly conservative nature of Irish restrictions will say finally commonsense has prevailed and we as a country can step out of the shadow of the virus and begin to walk again as a truly free people.

Restrictions lifting too fast?

Certainly, several ministers did express some pleasurable surprise at how swiftly the restrictions have crumbled. They noted that some constituents are anxious that the country is moving too quickly from severe restrictions to a near full reopening.

There was talk yesterday from some immune-compromised people that this reopening will force them back into cocooning. They have asked is it fair that they be set aside for the greater good?

While their concern is justified, it is simply not tenable to impose strict restrictions on the 98% in the hope of protecting the other 2%. Such concern is also inevitable, given how we have been conditioned into fear repeatedly over the past two years.

While the ending of many restrictions is certainly welcome, it would be exceptionally foolhardy to assume it is the end of Covid-19 or the end of Nphet. Ministers have made clear that moving forward, the government’s response to future bumps needs to see restrictions only used as a final resort and not a lazy default one.

They are insisting that the health system must retain the ability to quickly roll out a new vaccine programme if required, increase testing capacity quickly and to look to other remedies which mean imposing restrictions is used only in exceptional circumstances.

It's clear we need enhancements to our hospital bed capacity, particularly in intensive care units, to allow society to continue, to avoid inflicting huge pain on the masses in a bid to protect hospitals from being overwhelmed.

After 22 months, the patience of a weary public has been beyond tested and the good news of reopening is a moment to savour. While there will be an inquiry into how the pandemic was handled, as confirmed by Micheál Martin this week, it is not something that will be done in a spirit of vengeance but rather one of learning.

Let us hope that this reopening is truly the beginning of the end and not another false dawn.