The Government is expected to finalise the reopening of indoor hospitality on Wednesday despite concerns over a surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations.
Representatives for pubs and restaurants are to meet with government officials Tuesday around 4.30pm to sign off on draft guidelines for reopening indoor hospitality.
Cabinet Minister Simon Harris has said the government has not received any new advice from NPHET that would suggest they should not proceed with the planned reopening of indoor hospitality.
Minister Harris said “we are following public health advice” when asked if indoor dining should reopen against the backdrop of a spike in Covid-19 cases.
However, CMO Dr Tony Holohan could give an update to the Coalition leaders before Wednesday's decision.
Senior sources have indicated government policy will unlikely change having passed the legislation through the Houses of Oireachtas to facilitate the resumption of indoor dining.
Cabinet is expected to meet to finalise the plan for pubs and restaurants to reopen for fully vaccinated people, children and those who have recovered from infection in the previous six months.
The emergency legislation to facilitate the reopening has yet to be signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.
The legislation passed through the Seanad on Friday.
Tanáiste Leo Varadkar has indicated that it will be next Monday, July 26, when pubs and restaurants can allow customers back inside again.
Speaking in Co Galway on Monday, Minister Simon Harris said the government is “taking a very prudent” approach to reopening but warned hospital admissions and Covid-19 cases will increase significantly in the coming days and weeks.
He said: “We are following public health advice in relation to the reopening agenda so the government hasn’t received any new advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) that would suggest we should do nothing other than proceed along the basis that we’re planning to do so.
“We are probably the last country, I think, in the European Union to reopen indoor hospitality and we’re probably opening it in the most conservative manner possible.
“In most European countries, anybody can dine indoors.
“In some European countries, some people can dine indoors if they have a negative antigen test.
“Here in Ireland, the requirement for the time being will be that you can only dine indoors if you’re fully vaccinated so I think we’re taking a very prudent, very cautious approach and indeed only a few weeks ago we were being criticised for taking that approach.”
The Minister for Further and Higher Education said “this is and always has been a race between vaccines and variants.”
He said: “But certainly I think that it’s important that we try and open things in a sustainable way.
“There is no doubt whatsoever that the [Covid] cases in Ireland are going to increase and increase significantly in the coming days and weeks.
“We’re already seeing the beginnings of that.
“There is no doubt the numbers in hospitals will somewhat increase as well and we’re beginning to see that too.
“But this is and always has been a race between vaccines and variants, we’re on track to have the overwhelming majority of the adult population fully vaccinated by the end of August.”
Minister Harris reiterated warnings from Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and Tanáiste Leo Varadkar who urged unvaccinated people to “exercise absolute extreme caution” as they are at a greater risk of getting infected with Covid-19 now than ever before throughout the pandemic.
He added: “If you’re not fully vaccinated you’re very susceptible to picking up the Delta variant of Covid-19.
“And when we are so close to arriving at the point where everybody is vaccinated, I suppose our message to everyone individually is, don’t do anything to jeopardise that.”
