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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Colin Brennan

Changes expected on vaccination priority list in new Living with Covid plan

Changes are expected to be made on the vaccination priority list in the Government's revised Living with Covid plan.

People with underlying illnesses are set to be moved up the list.

The Taoiseach will announced the new plan in full in a live address to the country on Tuesday evening.

It will include the phased reopening of schools and childcare, with some school pupils set to return to the classroom on March 1.

Junior and senior infants as well as first and second class in primary schools will be among the first back to school.

Leaving Certificate students are also expected to return to the classroom next week.

However, opposition parties criticised the Government's messaging to the public about the plans to ease out of lockdown.

Sinn Fein's David Cullinane said there was a lot of "anger and frustration" among the people.

"We're picking that up from people who are very upset and angry over the Government's handling of this over the last number of weeks," he said.

22/12/2020 Taoiseach Micheal Martin TD on television in a city centre pub during an address to the nation (Collins Photo Agency)

"The mixed messages, the contradictions from Government ministers, the leaks and all of these issues.

"There's no sense of any real leadership, no sense of a cohesive plan.

"All of this is in the context of people who are making very big sacrifices, people who are abiding by the public health guidelines.

"They're obviously very tough on individuals, on families and on businesses.

"People want to play their part to bring the numbers down and they turn to Government then, to ensure that the Government's responses are appropriate."

(AFP via Getty Images)

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said there had been a "shambolic handling" of proposals to reopen schools, describing them as "dangerously defective".

He said the plans threatened to undermine the effort made during lockdown.

Meanwhile, official disease modeller Professor Philip Nolan said that while progress in reducing Covid-19 cases had slowed, the country was still making progress.

"Cases last week down 8% on the week before, under 700 in hospital this morning," he tweeted.

"Importantly the number of symptomatic cases is falling, while we see more asymptomatic and contacts.

"It's really hard, but we have to keep going."

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