Pressure is mounting on the Government to ease restrictions on people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 after the chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he would not have concerns about an outdoor event like the Electric Picnic taking place if attendance was limited to the fully vaccinated.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is due to meet on Wednesday after which it will issue advice to Government before the plan for the next phase of reopening is announced in the coming days.
But Dr Holohan gave a strong indication that Nphet would endorse plans for further reopening, saying he was “optimistic” the country would be in a position to move on from some of the current restrictions “in the near term”.
Hospital Report
However, he warned that the next phase of the reopening would only be safe for people who had been vaccinated, and suggested that unvaccinated people should not be allowed to attend events such as the All-Ireland football final.
Government sources expressed surprise at Dr Holohan’s comments, with one noting that the Government had not received any such advice from Nphet. “Let’s see what Nphet says today,” said one source.
Others noted that Dr Holohan’s comments would be likely to persuade young people to sign up for the vaccine.
A Government spokesman said that Dr Holohan’s comments had been “noted”, adding: “The Government will shortly publish its roadmap for managing Covid-19 over the coming months. Nphet will provide the latest public advice this week, before the cabinet sub-committee and Cabinet agree on the next steps.”
Roadmap
There is a growing expectation that restrictions will be eased considerably when the Government announces its roadmap for the next phase of reopening, though some sources say that some reopening measures will not be scheduled until later in the month, and may be confined to those who are vaccinated. The Government continues to insist that its priority is the return to school, college and the workplace in September.
Dr Holohan’s comments will encourage those in the live events industry who are campaigning for reopening of their sector. Significantly, the Minister for Arts Catherine Martin – who has been advocating within Government for a faster reopening – met with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday. A further meeting with industry representatives – at which Mr Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have agreed to attend – is scheduled for next Monday.
A spokesman for Ms Martin said the Government would shortly decide on “a clear roadmap for the sustainable reopening of activities in the live entertainment, culture and arts sectors”.
He declined to be drawn on whether an event like Electric Picnic would be permitted to go ahead, saying: “Decisions on the licensing of individual events are a matter for the relevant local authority.”
If large events are restricted to those who have been vaccinated, it marks a further departure from the Government’s initial pledge earlier this year not to permit discrimination on the grounds of vaccine status. However, that position was abandoned with the introduction of the digital Covid certificate, which allowed holders access to indoor hospitality.
