The government will make its decision tomorrow.

NPHET will meet today (Monday June 28th) to discuss whether or not restrictions on indoor dining, drinks and hospitality can be eased on July 5th, as originally planned.

Concerns over the more transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 have led to widespread reports that indoor hospitality will not be able to reopen next Monday, as hoped.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed that a decision will be taken earlier than expected on the July 5th reopening, in order to give the industry better time to prepare. Speaking RTÉ’s This Week In Politics, the Cork man acknowledged “how difficult and devastating the year has been to hospitality, we get that, we understand that. And we also understand the need to give notice.”

However, Martin also told the public that “the worst thing that can happen is that you open something up and then you start closing again.” He noted that the “calculus” is different from before, pointing to 2.5million fully vaccinated people. Martin said that NPHET’s advice on whether surpluses in vaccine supply can be used for younger people is a factor in whether or not indoor hospitality can reopen next week.

The Taoiseach said the aim was to ensure that anything that is reopened can then remain open.

Cases may be on the rise in Ireland, with 443 new cases of Covid confirmed on Saturday, but ICU numbers remain low — with 13 people currently in intensive care.