“We were winning the fight against Delta. Now Omicron is coming.”
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has sounded a note of defiance ahead of an anticipated Government announcement regarding new Covid-19 restrictions on Friday.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is expected to address the nation on Friday evening following fresh recommendations from NPHET designed to curb the spread of Covid in light of the Omicron variant’s emergence.
NPHET is reportedly calling for a 5pm curfew for hospitality and indoor cultural events from next Monday, as well as a reduction to 50% capacity – or a maximum of 5,000 people – for outdoor events.
It is understood that NPHET regards large gatherings as potential super-spreader events at a time when the Omicron variant continues to rapidly emerge amidst daily Covid case figures.
Despite this view, it is presently unclear how weddings will be affected.
Taking to Twitter on Friday morning, Tánaiste Varadkar referred to a drop of 40% in hospitalisation numbers compared to a few weeks previous.
“We were winning the fight against Delta,” he said. “Now Omicron is coming when we are at our most vulnerable – winter, Christmas, flu season. It’s a cruel virus.”
Highlighting the fatigued mood of the overall country, Varadkar said:
“We’re all feeling anger, frustration, dismay, depression but that cannot deflect us from making the right decisions to keep our people safe.”
In addition to widespread dismay expressed by representatives from Ireland’s hospitality and entertainment sectors, it has been reported that the Government is facing internal revolt regarding the proposed measures.
We're all feeling anger, frustration, dismay, depression but that cannot deflect us from making the right decisions to keep our people safe #covid
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) December 17, 2021
Speaking on Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme on Friday, Minister Eamon Ryan insisted that people can still enjoy “a social Christmas” despite the imminent new measures.
“We can still have a social Christmas,” Ryan said.
“It’s part of our health as well to meet each other and to meet family and we can and will still do that,” he added.
With major concern growing over both the rise and nature of the Omicron variant, Minister Ryan underlined the immediate challenges ahead.
“The key thing is we do have a surge coming,” he said. “This new variant does seem more transmissible and may have the ability to escape some vaccines.”
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