DUBLIN: The roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland is expected to be published at the end of this month. The plan is likely to be released on August 31 after a meeting with public health officials and the government next week.
The roadmap is expected to examine how the country will deal with the next phase of the pandemic from September and through winter. Further easing of restrictions in September will also be reviewed.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet next Wednesday to discuss the plans, followed by the COVID-19 sub-committee meeting next Friday. The proposed plan will then be reviewed by health experts prior to the announcement on August 31.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the roadmap will be “comprehensive”. “We will be going into a new era of the management of COVID-19, but there will always be a need for personal responsibility in the coming months,” he said.
Mr Martin said that while the incidence rate in Ireland is higher than in other European nations, the vaccination rate is very high. He added that the vaccination is “highly impactful in giving protection as it is preventing people from going into hospital and ICU”.
The government is also expected to provide clarification on reopening sectors that have yet to reopen, such as the entertainment industry. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the government is well aware that the tourism sector is under extreme pressure and difficulty.
During a cabinet meeting today, ministers discussed the possibility of employees returning to the workplace. They also discussed how individual sectors can utilise antigen testing themselves to further the reopening of society.
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