“I think it is unlikely that we are going to see mass gatherings come back any time soon.”
The government is considering reopening schools for one day each week when the Covid-19 restrictions are eventually relaxed.
In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Minister for Health Simon Harris said the government is looking at at number of scenarios, including opening schools once a week, but will ultimately follow the advice of public health officials.
Harris said the government had followed public health advice throughout the pandemic and would not be taking its foot off the peddle now.
However, Harris said it’s unlikely the country will be in a position where pubs are packed with people until there is an effective treatment or a vaccine available.
“We are going to have to very shortly make a decision on these mass gatherings,” he said.
“I think it is unlikely that we are going to see mass gatherings come back any time soon.
“I think we are going to have to keep up our social distancing, even if we can lessen some of the restrictions in place.”
On Saturday, Ireland reported 41 more deaths from Covid-19 bringing the total number of deaths to 571.
778 new cases were reported which means there have been 14,758 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland with 3,573 of these associated with healthcare workers.
On Friday night, Chief Medical Officer with the Department of Health Tony Holohan said Ireland had managed to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 outbreak and as a result of the restrictions combined with the work of the public, had lowered the reproductive number of the virus to below one.
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