The Chief Medical Officer has advised the Government that over 90% of people aged over 16 should be fully vaccinated before significant Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Dr Tony Holohan penned a letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly with updated advice from NPHET before Cabinet Ministers meet tomorrow to finalise a plan to lift all remaining Covid-19 restrictions.
The Irish Mirror understands that Dr Holohan has said other criteria such as the rate of infections should be stable as well as case numbers before the Government relaxes more rules.
NPHET has said that more than 90% of people aged over 16 would have to be fully vaccinated before the next phased exit from pandemic measures can be considered.
If the Government adopts NPHET’s advice, it could mean restrictions may not be lifted until October.
The latest NPHET advice has not come as a surprise as one senior source said Dr Holohan had “well flagged” in his recent NPHET briefing to the media on Tuesday what he believed would be a sufficient timeline to begin to lift restrictions.
Dr Holohan had already indicated that he does not think maximum vaccination of the population has been reached yet and it would take between four to six weeks before this was achieved.
The CMO said that it would be towards the end of September before it would be considered safe to see now considered “risky activities” resume without the need to check a person’s vaccine pass.
Young people have been receiving the Pfizer vaccine which takes one week after the second dose to be deemed fully vaccinated.
The HSE has been vaccinating 12-15 year olds and NPHET’s latest advice could encourage teenagers to take the jab.
Despite the advice from Dr Holohan, one source said given a large proportion of the population is now fully vaccinated, the Government would have to consider a vaccine bonus for people in the interim.
The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid will meet on Friday and representatives from the live entertainment industry will meet with the Taoiseach, Tanáiste and Minister Catherine Martin on Monday.
Cabinet is due to sign off on the fresh roadmap on Tuesday and Taoiseach Micheál Martin is expected to address the nation outlining the phased exit out of remaining restrictions.
