No restrictions on the horizon… but nothing can be ruled out.

It was revealed yesterday that Ireland has suffered 74 deaths due to Covid over the last seven days, an unwelcome return to days that many believed were behind us. Similarly, cases have repeatedly broken the 3,000 mark in the last week or so.

Nevertheless, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told Fine Gael at a parliamentary party meeting yesterday evening that there was “no push from NPHET to reimpose restrictions” though “nobody is ruling it out either.”

Varadkar’s attitude was reflected in yesterday’s NPHET press conference, during which Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said that “while nothing can be ruled out, no-one is expecting to go back to the reintroduction of restrictions.”

In an effort to combat the spread of the virus, Dr. Holohan has advised the public to cut their social contacts by half. He advised: “If you’re planning to go out two nights a week – perhaps just go out one. If you’re planning on having ten people over – perhaps just have five.”

Addressing the reintroduction of such measures in parts of Europe, Holohan pointed out that such places have had comparatively low vaccine take-up.