A Trinity College immunology professor has doubled down on the CMO’s suggestion of using Covid certs in more settings such as gyms and barbershops, saying that “we should be using them everywhere.”
Speaking on RTÉ 1’s Today With Claire Byrne this week, Professor Cliona O’Farrelly was asked about her thoughts on Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan’s statement.
CMO Dr Tony Holohan tells me that he would be in favour for the extension of the use of Covid passes for places like gyms and hairdressers.
— Gabija Gataveckaitė (@gataveckaite) November 10, 2021
“Do you think that the expansion of those certs would make a difference and be a good idea?” asked Claire Byrne.
Prof. Cliona O'Farrelly of TCD on covid passports: "We should be using them everywhere" pic.twitter.com/tcaHbddpdQ
— JRD (@JRD0000) November 13, 2021
“Oh absolutely,” replied O’Farrelly.
“We’re really missing a trick here. I mean, other countries in Europe have no problem with it.”
Notably, Austria is in the process of implementing a Covid lockdown only on the unvaccinated, requiring all individuals to be double jabbed if they want to enter most venues and businesses.
Starting this week, Austria has imposed a lockdown only on the unvaccinated due to surging, near-record case numbers, despite more than half of the country’s population being fully-jabbed.#gripthttps://t.co/GWYuRz8tL8
— gript (@griptmedia) November 9, 2021
“Vaccination is clearly very successful here in Ireland. Many of us are vaccinated. We need more. But nevertheless we do need to get used to using our Covid passports, and we should be using them everywhere.”
Additionally, RTÉ’s Brendan O’Connor speculated about the possibility of an Austria-style lockdown only for the unvaccinated in Ireland, calling it a “very radical” thing to do, but saying that a lot of vaccinated people may think it’s “not the worst idea in the world.”
Brendan O'Connor on the radio today seeming to be enjoying the idea of Ireland locking down the unvaxxed, as they are doing in Austria. pic.twitter.com/zLnK7JOpG0
— JRD (@JRD0000) November 13, 2021