Irish Examiner view: A Covid exit strategy

Government should consider a safe and effective vaccine passport system

 Taoiseach Micheal Martin wearing a face mask as he arrives at Government Buildings. The next phase of communication from the government must include some semblance of what life looks like longer-term

A year on from Covid-19 becoming a worldwide pandemic, it is worthwhile to reflect on how we in Ireland have tackled it and the importance of communication for future public health crises.

The high level of compliance among the public with the various lockdown and other measures introduced by the Government has been, frankly, astonishing. It suggests that despite confusion over government messaging, the mix of state-of-the-nation speeches and public advertising to try and improve society’s knowledge of Covid-19 and how to prevent its spread has worked.

Fearmongering over the vaccine, our way out of this nightmare, has been largely suppressed, despite the threat of social media. In the early days of the pandemic here, organisations like the HSE struggled to get on top of the escalating crisis, but our top health officials via Nphet have calmly continued to keep us informed.

Mistakes have been made. Confusing messages over the efficacy of wearing masks in certain settings, opening up too soon before Christmas, and the slow rollout of vaccines have all contributed to what is an ongoing health crisis.

The next phase of communication must include some semblance of what life looks like longer-term. The Government should consider an effective vaccine passport system that would allow the return, at the appropriate time, to pre-Covid-19 activities, including travel, without compromising personal or public health.