Level 5 restrictions might be extended beyond January, said Coveney

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has recently hinted that the Level 5 restrictions might be extended even beyond January.

Mr Coveney said that Ireland is facing a third wave of Covid 19 and no one was expecting it to happened.

He had also said that the government was working hand in hand with the NPHET for the past nine months to bring the situation under control.

“Decisions made on the back of that relationship have saved many lives and kept the virus under control where possible,” he said.

Meanwhile he also accepted and said that there were certain mistakes made by the government too.

The minister said that government should take proper decisions while the most important and crucial advices are coming from the NPHET’s side. He said that they are following according to the advices of NPHET.

On the other hand Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport Eamon Ryan said that it is the government who is handling the Covid situation and it did not deviate from NPHET’s advice.

“What was most important when we saw this sudden spike in transmissions, very rapid, very recent, the Government immediately responded, twice. Even the change a week ago to the last few days is a very different situation.” he said.

“We responded very quickly accepting NPHET’s advice and putting in stringent Level 5 restrictions across the country.” He added.

He also said that the real key is getting back control and that won’t be that easy. But he said collectively we will be able to do it and have to do it.

“What I hope we would see by the middle of January that those fearful numbers around what the implications for hospitals might be, start to turn the other way,” said Mr Ryan.