Covid restrictions under review
The Taoiseach has said he is “hopeful” that the current restrictions, combined with booster jabs, will be enough to see the country through the Omicron wave.
Micheál Martin said the restrictions will be kept under review, but refused to say whether they could be removed if the wave of infections is not as severe as predicted by health officials.
According to Mr Martin said the restrictions will remain in place until the end of January, but would be kept under “constant review”.
Reduce contacts
Meanwhile, the chief medical officer urged people to meet only those they plan to spend Christmas Day with in the coming days in a bid to cut social contacts.
Dr Tony Holohan also made a plea to young people to reduce their social contacts as the incidence rate in the young adult population continues to rise, with the Omicron variant now accounting for two thirds of new cases in the State.
“I would urge all parents, guardians and extended friends and family to support the young people in your lives to reduce their contacts,” Dr Holohan added.
Janssen vaccine
Immunology expert Professor Paul Moynagh has called for people who received the one-dose Janssen vaccine to be prioritised in the booster campaign.
Speaking on Newstalk radio this morning, the director of the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health research at Maynooth University said that the level of protection for this cohort was now “down to zero”.
Travel stats
Overseas travel to and from Ireland decreased in November compared to the previous month, new figures have shown.
Figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today show that 785,800 passengers arrived in Ireland on overseas routes last month, down 15 per cent on October.
In the same month, 785,000 passengers departed from Ireland on overseas routes, down 12 per cent on the previous month.
