Another step towards normality
It’s the final roadmap this time. Or is it?
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin looked and sounded positive and fairly upbeat as he revealed the latest roadmap to re-opening at Government buildings on Tuesday evening.
By 22 October, it will all be over in a certain sense. All rules and restrictions should essentially be lifted, including the requirement for physical distancing and mask wearing outdoors and in private settings. But we will still be asked to be responsible although masks are going to be required in the health and retail sectors and on public transport.
“Today, we're taking an important and very welcome step forward,” he said, outlining the changes after the Cabinet had earlier signed off on the plan for the final easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
He gave great credit to the Irish people for playing their part in getting through the dark days to this new phase. However he needs all the positive news he can get as he is a Taoiseach with little time left and he needs to made hay while the sun shines.
The challenge for Mr Martin is to boost Fianna Fáil in the short-term as well as buttressing support in his own party, where there are vocal elements that do not support him. Having some good news to report makes this a key time for him.
He said to the Irish people: “The evidence is clear and incontrovertible – your effort and your sacrifice has saved lives. Because of the effort of our vaccination team and because you have stepped up to the mark and taken the vaccine when it was offered, we are now entering a whole new phase of the pandemic.”
He added that the “time is now right to begin to move from regulation and widespread restrictions on people’s personal freedom to an approach primarily defined by public health advice, personal judgement and responsibility”.
He said the “combined strategy of careful reopening and energetic vaccination has brought us to a point where we can begin to do things differently”.
However he also added that you can never say never with this virus. “Obviously we must remain vigilant and nimble. If a new dangerous variant of concern emerges or if our hospitals come under unsustainable pressure once again, we will move quickly to respond to the situation.”
NPHET
There had been lots of speculation since the weekend that NPHET would be disbanded in October. This was denied by the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar on Tuesday.
“There isn’t a date for this NPHET to end, but it is intended that it will revert to a more normal role - perhaps be slimmed down, and perhaps a less prominent, less public-facing role. The last thing the Government would want to do is dissolve the body that has given us such good advice and such reliable information for the last year and a half.
“So there isn’t a date, as such, for that to happen,” he added.
That seems prudent but let’s hope we don’t need their experience for many months more.