'Enough progress' made to begin easing of Covid-19 restrictions on Monday
Ireland will today take its first step back to normality after 10 weeks of lockdown as the Cabinet will approve the lifting of restrictions to personal freedoms from Monday.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar signalled that enough progress has been made and senior Government sources have confirmed that barring any disaster, a recommendation to move into phase one of the exit from the Covid-19 restrictions will be given the green light by ministers.
This will mean that from Monday:
- Up to four people who don’t live together can meet outdoors while keeping at least two metres apart.
- Attendance at funerals is being kept to a maximum of 10 people.
- Garden centres, farmers’ markets, hardware and homeware stores will reopen as well as opticians, motor and bicycle repair shops and phone repair shops.
- Up to 100,000 construction workers will return to work.
- Tennis courts and golf courses can also reopen where social distancing can apply.
In the Dail, Mr Varadkar said he and his ministers are “increasingly confident” that we will be able to move to phase one on Monday.
Senior Government sources stated last night that the restrictions will be lifted following the significant progress made in suppressing the virus.
Confirmation of the easing of restrictions comes as tensions between the Chief Medical Officer and the head of the HSE emerged over the country’s ability to test 100,000 people a week for Covid-19.
Dr Tony Holohan said he did not publicly announce a target of 100,000 Covid-19 tests a week to put pressure on the HSE.
Letters published on Thursday from HSE CEO Paul Reid to Jim Breslin, the Secretary-General of the Department of Health, dated April 19, states Mr Reid was "extremely disappointed" in the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan.
Speaking as a further 10 deaths from the virus were announced, bringing to 1,506 the total number dead from the illness in Ireland, Dr Holohan said it was not a case that he was attempting to publicly influence the speed with which the HSE ramped up its testing. Dr Holohan said that the figure was subject of NPHET discussion and communicated to the HSE.
"There have been communication difficulties and so on but you're talking about a NPHET meeting that goes back almost a month ago," he said.
"It would be implausible to think that there weren't disagreements from time to time." Dr Holohan said that there were tensions in any high-pressure work scenario and that in some cases it can ensure better work. He said that Mr Breslin had responded to the letter, but he was not aware of the content of the letter.
Commenting on the letter’s publication, HSE CEO Paul Reid said that such tensions between the department and the HSE are to be expected.
"I would be a fool to think there wouldn't be tensions between a major agency and a department and there will be more," Mr Reid said.
"The reality is, what we were working through then, of course, there were tensions, but this was about making sure we had capacity.
"Absolutely there have been tensions in between, many tensions in various stages as big agencies working with departments but the outcome has been what we wanted to achieve."
