Taoiseach hints staycations in the summer are on cards
THE Taoiseach has indicated that staycations will be on the cards this summer as he suggested that B&Bs and hotels will reopen in June. Micheál Martin made the comments during his opening address to the Hospitality and Tourism Expo yesterday morning.
Addressing the delegation, he said we are ‘on the final stretch of this horrible journey’ and soon ‘we will be able to travel within and enjoy our beautiful country again’.
The Taoiseach added: ‘It means that towards the end of May and depending on progress, we will look at the reopening of hotels, B&Bs and guest houses in the month of June.’
It came as Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that Ireland has ‘more reasons to be hopeful now than at any time in the pandemic to date’.
Dr Glynn and other members of the National Public Health Emergency
Team (NPHET) were addressing the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday afternoon.
He explained that NPHET does not envisage Ireland entering lockdown again as he confirmed that the team is working on new advice that will help the Government form a roadmap for May, June and July.
When asked by Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson, David Cullinane, if any restrictions would be lifted in the next six weeks, the Deputy CMO said that they ‘absolutely’ would.
He noted that NPHET is currently assessing data and will bring new recommendations to Government at the end of the month.
‘Our intention is to review the data again with a view towards what easing might be possible in May,’ Dr Glynn explained.
‘We will do that at the end of this month. We’ll provide updates and advice to Government.’
He continued: ‘I think the Government has already set out in its most
recent update a number of areas that they would wish to look at. And I think we would be looking at those areas in particular. For example, click-and-collect, non-essential retail, further easing in terms of outdoor sports and training and outdoor businesses and then moving on from there.
‘I would hope that by the end of this month, we may [be able] to set out a plan, or at least an indicative high-level approach, that we can hopefully adhere to over the following six to eight weeks that will bring us through May, through June and into July.’
Dr Glynn added that while foreign holidays are still off the cards this summer due to uncertainty surrounding the disease in Europe, he hopes that we can have a ‘very open and very good summer in this country’.
The Acting CMO was also asked about the possibility of pubs and hospitality reopening in this country.
He noted that NPHET will assess data over the next number of weeks but indicated that these areas are high-risk environments.
‘We will be giving consideration to the whole area of hospitality,’ he said.
‘In relation to this issue of pubs versus gastropub, to be clear, NPHET never said one word about a €9 [meal being necessary]. But we do have a concern about alcohol in the context of a global dynamic.’
He said that ‘you can’t get away from the fact that when we’ve had a few drinks, we let our guard down’, adding: ‘We’re less likely to social distance, we’re less likely to ensure that we’re following all the measures that we should be following.’