Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has made a plea in the Dáil to unvaccinated and young people and warned them that they are more at risk now than ever before from the pandemic.
The Fine Gael leader has said young people and the unvaccinated are now the most vulnerable in society.
He has asked unvaccinated people to not travel abroad, continue to wear masks outdoors and avoid socialising indoors.
He revealed: “We've had 200 people in ICU, in the past two months - 199 of them are not fully vaccinated.
“We're seeing a major surge in cases almost entirely among younger people and people who are not fully vaccinated.
“We as a government and we as a parliament have responsibility now to protect those who are not fully vaccinated.
“And over the course of the next few weeks, people who are not fully vaccinated are at greater risk than ever before.”
Mr Varadkar has pleaded with young people and those who are unvaccinated to keep their social contacts to a minimum.
He told the Dáil: “And I ask them over the summer, at least until they are fully vaccinated, please avoid socializing indoors, please you keep your social contacts to a minimum.
“Please avoid non-essential foreign travel.
“Please wear a mask outdoors.”
The Tanaiste was speaking this morning in the Dáil before TDs break for the summer recess.
He said if people do not stick to public health measures over the summer, they risk overwhelming the hospital system.
He said: “But there are still a huge number of people who are not fully vaccinated, cases are rising and they are at more risk than they ever were before, since this pandemic began because of Delta.
“There is a risk that if they don't take care that they will overwhelm our hospitals and put those healthcare workers under enormous strain again.
“And the final message I'd have from this house before we rise for recess, just to please say to unvaccinated people, you're very high risk.
“Treat this pandemic as seriously as you did at any point since it began.”
