An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has stated that he is “increasingly confident” that both indoor and outdoor dining will be permitted in July.
In was a positive day yesterday in terms of news around Covid as it was confirmed that Ireland would receive an additional 545,000 Pfizer vaccines in quarter two while NPHET praised the public’s efforts in bringing the virus under control.
What people have achieved by limiting contacts & following public health advice has made a very real, positive impact.
Let's keep this going until the vaccination programme has had an opportunity to protect us, our friends & families. pic.twitter.com/9AwsSUqdwx
— Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) April 15, 2021
As well as that, we heard that Northern Ireland’s new roadmap includes the projection that indoor drinking and dining could be allowed from June 1, and Varadkar is optimistic that the Republic could follow suit soon after.
Speaking yesterday, he said that “we would expect to be in a position at the end of April to give an indication as to how hospitality might reopen across the course of June or July. We have no deep detail on that yet, but the evidence is that outdoor dining is much safer than indoor, but it is hoped to get to the point where both will be possible.” He added that he is “increasingly confident” that it will be possible that both indoor and outdoor dining will be possible by July.
The next Government address is scheduled for the end of April and it is expected that the public will be told of a pathway from May, June and, July, including key dates for the return of the hospitality trade.
READ NEXT: President Higgins and Johnny Sexton are part of a stellar Late Late line-up this week