Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said that the public must “behave” and “get vaccinated” if we want to prevent rising Covid-19 case numbers.
The remarks were made by the Fianna Fáil leader yesterday while speaking to Newstalk’s The Anton Savage Show.
Behave and we can stop COVID. https://t.co/Sgp2Yvf0z9
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) October 23, 2021
“If we all collectively behave and what I mean by that is just watch ourselves, [be a] bit more cautious about how we go about in congregations and so on like that, we can pull this back – particularly if people get vaccinated,” Martin said.
He added that the recent trend of surging Covid cases had him feeling very “concerned.”
However, Covid cases are even surging in the country’s most highly vaccinated regions.
Waterford, for example, currently has the highest rate of infection in the country.
Waterford city district has State’s highest rate of Covid-19 infections https://t.co/KBikOMaoxR
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) October 21, 2021
However, 99.7% of the adult population in Waterford county is fully-vaccinated, making it one of the most highly jabbed regions in the world.
99.7% of Waterford adults fully vaccinated against Covid-19 https://t.co/DUoytUM3PN
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) September 23, 2021
Martin also insisted that booster jabs would help the situation.
“Boosters will work,” he said.
“And will give the extra protection that people require and the research is increasingly showing that…Certainly, for the over 60’s I think this will be significant…With high cases you’re watching how many get hospitalised, how many get very sick and I think the booster will prevent that in the older age cohort.”
However, this seems to echo what the Taoiseach said on March 31st about the initial jab:
“Vaccination will…further reduce infections, hospitalisation and mortality as younger age groups are vaccinated. These vaccines are transformative. And they are our way out.”
It has proven not to be true, despite the Taoiseach’s insistence to the contrary at the time.
It remains to be seen if booster jabs will be the silver bullet the government claims they are.