Significant covid-19 restrictions are set to remain in place for at least two months, as both Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar have stated that the state’s hands are tied by a shortage of vaccines.
The news comes as the government has missed its vaccine targets three weeks in a row, consistently missing its own deadlines for administering jabs.
The number of vaccines administered Monday to Saturday last week was only 79,328, meaning it is highly unlikely the Government hit its target of administering 94,000 doses last week. This will be the third week running targets have been missed.https://t.co/7odO6Vh39T
— gript (@griptmedia) March 9, 2021
According to the Irish Times, Varadkar reportedly stated that absolutely no decision on easing restrictions will be made early in April, and that while the government hoped to extend the 5km limit, allow outdoor activities and re-open construction, that one big covid spike could take all of those plans off the cards.
One source claimed that the government was set to take a “minimalist approach”, and that they will not give in to sectoral interests, such as pubs and hospitality businesses.
Additionally, while Varadkar said that the country was on-course for click-and-collect to resume at Irish shops in the coming months, other senior figures have reportedly heavily downplayed this suggestion, as plans to secure excess vaccine doses from other countries has proved futile.
“There is no magic tree when it comes to vaccines,” Micheal Martin reportedly told Fianna Fáil during a party meeting.