The restrictions that have been in place up to now are due to continue for a further three weeks, until May 5th.
This afternoon the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that during a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team, it was recommended that extending the restrictions is the prudent course of action to take if we as a country are to have the best chance of minimising the spread of Covid-19.
Thanking the people of Ireland for the sacrifices they have made thus far, he said that the spread of the virus has been disrupted and slowed down.
He also said that too many people have died so far an that many more infections and fatalities will be recorded before this phase of our lives is over.
He also said that ‘no one knows for certain’ when life will get back to normal, but that all we can do is ‘take one day at a time’.
While a three-week extension is ahead of us now, Mr Varadkar said that depending on what the position is at that stage, it is hoped that the measures may begin to be eased; but again, that depends on the number of cases there are at the time.
The Minister for Health Simon Harris pointed out that only a few weeks ago, the number of people that a person who had Covid-19 was infecting was significantly higher than it is now, but he warned that this must fall further yet.
“You are making that happen”, he said. “You are flattening the curve and helping to protect front line workers.”
He added that “hard days are worth it for better days ahead”.
Dr Cillian De Gascun, the chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group also warned that when the stage comes that the restrictions can be lifted, that could only happen on a phased basis, and only when there was confidence that the virus would not spread further.
Mr Varadkar meanwhile had this appeal to make:
“Your sacrifices are making a difference…We cannot be complacent, we cannot lose focus”.
For updated and factual Public Health information and advice on COVID-19 Coronavirus, please visit hse.ie/coronavirus or call 1800 700 700
For the latest information on the Covid-19 Vaccine Programme, please visit hse.ie/covid-19-vaccine
