Coronavirus restrictions may not be lifted at all next week, or only slightly eased.
According to the Irish Independent, it’s because of ‘serious concern’ at the number of new cases being recorded.
Yesterday the Department of Health announced 26 more Covid-19 patients had died and 701 more people had tested positive.
Kilkenny has seen 230 confirmed cases of the virus so far while in Carlow there’s been 91 (as of Sunday 26th April).
Health Minister Simon Harris says we can’t expect a major let-up in the restrictions on May 5th:
“I have been very clear that I don’t expect a big bang moment on the 5th of May when we are lifting or changing restrictions, but what I do hope happens in around then is that we can publish a plan, a plan that would show you how we can reopen our country and how we go about it”.
“We are only going to do it if it’s safe to do so, irish people have worked far too hard to risk for any reason changing that”.
Meanwhile a change in case definition for testing for the virus comes into effect this week.
From now anyone with a fever, cough or shortness of breath can be tested, while up to now only those in at-risk groups with two symptoms could.
According to a new poll the priority for people if restrictions can be lifted is getting out beyond their neighbourhoods.
Researchers at NUIG, GMIT and DCU polled over 35 thousand people for the Corona Citizens Science Survey about the impact the pandemic is having on their daily lives.
Half of respondents said the 2km limit on travel is the measure they would like to get rid of first.
