A top Irish doctor in the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned EU countries to be "more patient" with reopening plans this summer.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme referenced last year’s move to reopen during the summer months and said the result of this was another lockdown and thousands of more infections.
Speaking on a Facebook Live Q&A with epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Dr Ryan said: "We just need to be a little more patient.
"Remember last summer when everything got good and then, everyone kind of relaxed and then we kind of arrived in September and October and ended up in huge trouble.
“I think that's where we are going again with a much more transmissible variant this time around. And that is the issue."
He said that some countries’ methods of reopening so far have been "a very premature rush back to full normality".
Those who have decided to reopen hastily will pay for it in the coming months according to Dr Ryan, as new variants begin to spread, and millions remain unvaccinated.
"I think we're going to pay a price for that, because we are not there at vaccination, the variants are really there and we have not protected enough people.”
After stating that some countries are only at the beginning phases of their battle against the virus, he urged all regions across the globe to be more careful in their future plans.
"Unfortunately, this thing is only getting started".
Meanwhile here in Ireland, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly this morning said we’re facing the “brutal” reality with new and emerging variants seeing people who are not vaccinated become seriously ill when allowed to come together in groups once more.
When questioned about the potential return of indoor dining, Minister Donnelly said nobody wants a situation where we could see “super spreader events” occur as the Delta variant takes hold.
He said the advice from Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan remains the same in that indoor dining should only return for those who have recovered from Covid-19 or are fully vaccinated.
