Cianan Brennan: Government hoped for the best but never prepared for worst-case scenario

Nphet had no choice but to advise a delay to reopening indoor dining but what's recommended is not practical

CMO Dr Tony Holohan's group has put the Government in a dreadful bind. And this is a Government not overly adept at achieving the achievable, let alone the impossible. Picture: Julien Behal. 

In the end, there are two main conclusions that emerge from the advice the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) gave to Government on Monday.

The first is that Nphet had no choice but to relay the advice that it did, and to suggest Ireland’s hospitality reopening needs to be delayed. The figures don’t lie, and if the proverbial were to really hit the fan, in the context of the Delta variant running amok and a couple of thousand deaths resulting, the public simply would not be able to forgive an administration that allowed it to happen. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst etc.