Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that there will be no “magic day” to mark the end of the pandemic. But, he did say that it wither out over time.
Micheál Martin made these comments when speaking at Botanic Gardens with Higher Education Minister Simon Harris. They were launching a new campaign called Creating Our Future, encouraging people to share their views on the future of Irish research.
Creating Our Future will ask members of the public and the community to put forward ideas and perspectives on what Irish research and innovation should focus on.
These remarks come after the CMO Dr Tony Holohan recently said that due to Ireland’s vaccination program being one of “the best in the world”, further economic and social restrictions could be eased in the “coming weeks”.
Despite the recent spike in daily cases, only 2% of these cases are currently being hospitalised.
“We have reasons for optimism”, Dr Holohan said. “Obviously we’re continuing to see very high levels of vaccination in all of the age cohorts that have come forward for vaccination and have registered”.
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Health Minister Stephen Donnelly also urged people to take the vaccine when offered. More here.
No “magic day” for end of pandemic – Martin
“You’d love to kind of emerge from it one day and pick a date and say this is the day that Covid is over but pandemics don’t end like that”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said.
“Viruses peter out”, he added. “A combination of things may change the nature of the virus’ journey. It will be over time”.
“We’re making progress”, he added. “We’re not well over a year and a half into this. I think the Spanish Flu was about two years plus. Life will have to adjust. It could end with a whimper rather than a bang, to put it that way”.
Mr Martin also revealed that booster shots of the Covid vaccine will be made available for anyone who wants one closer to the winter.
He also added that these jabs could be rolled out annually like the flu jab.
“Perfectly natural”
Elsewhere, the government have also been addressing the issue of the spreading of misinformation of vaccinating young children.
Stephen Donnelly said that it is “perfectly natural” that parents have questions about their children getting the vaccine.
He also urged parents to use official sources when reading information about the vaccine and “ignore the social media misinformation”.
Donnelly also said that students will not need to get vaccinated to return to school.
The vaccine programme will also be extended to 12 and 15 year olds, following a reccomendation from NIAC.
