Mass vaccination now our only way out of lockdowns
:: Vaccine blow as AstraZeneca supply cut :: ‘End is truly in sight,’ says Taoiseach
THE Government has conceded the National Vaccination Programme is the only chance the country has of returning to normality a year into the pandemic.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin pinned his hopes on the vaccine roll-out as he published a new plan for “managing the virus”.
He said the “end is truly in sight” but added the vaccine programme needed to be accelerated before the country can be reopened,
As the plan was being launched, reports emerged the EU would receive only half of its intended supply of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in the second quarter.
However, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly insisted this had been factored into the target of having 60pc of adults fully vaccinated by the end of June.
The new plan confirmed the phased reopening of schools, while childcare will return on a phased basis from March 8. A review of restrictions will be carried out in March, but the Government will only consider lifting the 5km travel limit and not permit inter-county movement. It is expected construction will return in April.
THE Government last night published its long-awaited updated ‘Living with Covid19’ plan, with clarity on the phased reopening of schools, vaccination roll-out and the road out of our long lockdown.
In a State address and a press conference from the three party leaders and deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn, it has been confirmed the long-awaited phased return of schools will officially kick off from Monday as part of a new plan.
The Government has split the plan into two parts – the period before April 5 and the period after.
The country will remain at the current lockdown until at least April 5, with schools reopening gradually from next Monday. After April 5, depending on the vaccination roll-out progress and public health advice, restrictions may slowly begin to ease.
Below are the main points from last night’s big announcement.
Will this lockdown ever end?
The country will remain at the maximum level of restrictions, Level 5, until at least April 5. While schools will begin reopening on a phased basis from Monday, with some childcare to resume the following Monday, also on a phased basis, other restrictions will remain the same until then.
“If things work out, and we keep the virus suppressed, we can look forward to more restrictions being eased after Easter,” Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said last night.
What is the latest on the vaccine roll-out?
There have been 219,899 doses of the vaccine in total administered so far and 130,423 second doses.
The Government hopes that by June 82pc of adults will have received at least one dose and 55pc to 60pc of adults will be fully vaccinated.
By the end of March, it hopes to have administered 1.25 million doses and that one million doses will be given out throughout the months of April, May and June. By the end of April, it is planned that up to 47pc of people over 18 will have had their first dose. By the end of May, up to 64pc will have had their first dose.
Yesterday, AstraZeneca told
the EU it would deliver less than half of the vaccines it promised between April and June. But Taoiseach Micheál Martin maintained Irish targets were set with this in mind. He said the second quarter of the year would be key in vaccine roll-out.
The vaccine priority list has now also been updated, bringing some people with underlying health conditions higher up the list. Those aged 16-69, who have a medical condition that puts them at very high risk of severe disease and death, will now be Cohort 4 and be vaccinated directly after those aged over 70 and living in the community. Cohort 5 will include those aged 65-69 whose underlying condition puts them at a high risk of severe disease and death.
Cohort 6 will comprise those aged 65-69. They will be vaccinated alongside healthcare workers who are not in a patient facing role. This cohort also includes key workers, who are essential to the vaccine programme.
Cohort 7 will consist of those aged 16-64 who have an underlying condition that puts them at high risk of severe disease and death.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended that while any of the three currently authorised vaccines can be given to adults aged 16-69, it is preferable that mRNA vaccines should preferably be given to those aged 16-69 and who are at high risk, who have certain conditions that may limit their immune response to the vaccine.
The mRNA vaccines include the Pfizer and Moderna jabs.
Mr Martin said that the key issue to vaccine rollout was not supply, but administration. He said this was a “big challenge” because administering seven million doses was “extraordinary”.
However, Ireland’s vaccine roll-out is slower than that of the UK. When asked whether we should request vaccines from Britain, Mr Martin denied that we are “too proud”.
On Monday, Boris Johnson issued a new road map out of lockdown where all restrictions would be lifted by June 21.
While the Irish ‘Path Ahead’ plan is less ambitious in comparison, the Taoiseach
“the end is truly in sight”. Schools After weeks of negotiations between the Department of Education and teaching unions, we finally have clarity on the phased reopening of schools. From Monday, special schools will resume at 100pc attendance and junior and senior infants, first and second class pupils, as well as Leaving Cert students, will go back to school. Some 320,000 students will return to education and Nphet will review the situation in two weeks. If given the green light, the Government will allow third, fourth, fifth and sixth class students, as well as fifth years go back to school.
Pupils will then break for the end of term on March 26 and go back to school on April 12 after Easter. On April 12, following Nphet advice, first
to fourth years in secondary schools will also return.
Childcare
Like schools, creches and early years childcare will also return on a phased basis.
All children part of the Early Childhood Care and
Education Programme (ECCE) will return to creche from March 8. All other early learning and childcare will resume from March 29.
Outdoor activities
If transmission has dropped and the vaccination plan has progressed by April 5, the Government will consider allowing people to meet outdoors in groups.
Sporting activities may be permitted outside and the 5km travel ban could be eased. Some areas of construction may also be allowed. However, people will be required to work from home unless they are essential workers.
State supports
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment, the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit and Covid Restrictions Support Scheme will be run until the end of June. The suspension of redundancy provisions and commercial rates waiver will be extended until the same date. A further €10m will be given to the Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations. In addition, €10m will be given towards mental health services.
Some 450,000 people are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, according to the Tánaiste.
Cautious approach
The current high level of transmission and concerns about new variants of the virus means the Government is taking a cautious approach and a lot of focus will be put on advice from Nphet.
Mr Martin said 90pc of all new cases in Ireland were due to the B117 variant. Concerns about the South African and British strains informed some of the reasoning behind this new Covid plan.
The “conservative and cautious” approach is being taken to allow for the reopening of schools and the resumption of childcare services while avoiding causing a fourth wave. It is also aimed at protecting vulnerable people while vaccines are rolled out. People are asked “remain vigilant” during roll-out.
What about construction, hospitality, non-essential retail sectors?
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said two weeks ago he was “more than confident” that construction would resume on March 5 but this will not be the case.
After criticism of the Government’s messaging around the reopening of certain sectors, both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste declined to speculate as to when other sectors would begin to reopen. But it is likely the easing of restrictions will be considered if the spread of the virus remains under control after April 5.
What lies ahead?
According to the plan, there could be virus control measures necessary as late as next winter and into 2022.
The plan, which expects a majority of the population to be vaccinated by next winter, said many problems may persist. It says there is still uncertainty about what impact vaccines will have on transmission rates.
It raises concerns about how Covid-19 might affect this winter because opportunities for transmission will increase during colder months.
In addition, if the same levels of social-distancing measures are not in place, other respiratory infections are likely to be in circulation. This would be “potentially placing a double pressure on the health service”, according to the plan. There is also concern over the “growing levels of fatigue” with publichealth measures and “lower levels of adherence”.