• Government approves additional measures to reduce levels of social contact and interrupt the spread of COVID-19
• Vaccine Booster approved for over 50s

The COVID-19 situation in Ireland is uncertain and of concern. We remain vulnerable to a further deterioration depending on a number of factors, including levels of social contact, adherence to basic public health protective measures, and levels of immunity across the population.

The current level of COVID-19 is having a significant and sustained impact across all aspects of the health service, including in hospitals, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), public health, testing and tracing services, general practice, as well as the broader primary care services.

Today, following public health advice, Government has agreed a range of measures aimed at interrupting the spread of COVID-19 in the community:

• With effect from midnight Thursday 18^th November:
  • Everyone should revert to working from home unless it is necessary to attend the workplace in person;
  • Statutory requirement for COVID-19 passes (based on vaccination or recovery) will be extended to cinemas and theatres (which many are already applying to allow for greater capacity); and
  • Closing times for all on-licensed premises (save for hotels regarding staying guests) will move to midnight with all customers vacated from the premises by that time.
• Household close contacts who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic should restrict their movements pending completion of recommended antigen testing (i.e. 5 days).

Vaccine Booster Programme

Booster vaccinations are currently being administered to those aged over 60 in the community and residents in long-term care facilities, the immunocompromised, and healthcare workers. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is already planning to expand capacity further through both the pharmacy sector and vaccination centres over the coming weeks, and will now plan a further ramp-up of the delivery programme in the coming days in line with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) advice received last night to extend the programme to those aged 16-59 with underlying conditions and to those aged 50 to 59.

Vaccination remains the single most effective protection against COVID-19 and always remains available for anyone who has not yet been vaccinated. Vaccines are proving highly effective in preventing deaths and serious illness from COVID-19.

In contrast, this week, the HSE said 40% of people in hospitals are unvaccinated although they constitute just 7% of the adult population. The unvaccinated constitute 52% of admissions to ICU and the partially vaccinated another 5%.

While the high uptake of vaccination is having a considerable positive impact on the conversion of case numbers into admissions to hospital and ICU, vaccination alone will not prevent transmission and the range of public health behaviours will continue to be a critical component of the collective response to COVID-19. 

These behaviours include:

• acting fast, isolating and getting tested if we have symptoms;
• wearing our face coverings where appropriate (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/aac74c-guidance-on-safe-use-of-face-coverings/);
• making sure that indoor spaces are well ventilated;
• maintaining adequate social distancing whenever appropriate; and
• covering our coughs and sneezes and keeping our hands clean.

To protect ourselves and the most vulnerable in our communities, we should also:

• prioritise the activities we undertake;
• limit our activities in riskier environments (indoor, crowded environments, where distancing is difficult);
• take regular antigen tests if we are asymptomatic and engaged in activities in riskier environments; and
• hold off on visiting vulnerable people after undertaking these activities.

People in age groups approved for booster shots should take up their vaccine appointment as a priority when offered it and exercise particular caution until they receive their booster dose.

Working from Home

Following today’s decisions, engagement has taken place with employers and trade unions, through the Labour Employer Economic Forum, on updating guidance on working from home unless necessary to attend in person, as well as strengthening communication on protective measures, as outlined in the Work Safely Protocol, for those who continue to attend workplaces.

The Government continues to offer a range of economic supports to assist businesses and individuals impacted by the pandemic as set out in the Economic Recovery Plan, which are amongst the most extensive direct supports offered within the EU. They include the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (with expenditure to date of over €5.4bn), tax warehousing, a targeted commercial rates waiver, along with low-cost loan schemes to businesses, such as the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, mentoring programmes, and direct grant programmes. A range of sectoral supports also remain in place and, through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, the Gaeltacht, Sports and the Media, the Government remains in ongoing contact with the hospitality and entertainment sectors on the challenges they face due to COVID-19.

There will be no change in current arrangements for student attendance and on-site activities in school, further and higher education institutions in line with COVID response plans for those sectors. 

Compliance

Work is continuing with agencies and inspectorates, including through the Regulators’ Forum, to build upon efforts to date and to strengthen compliance and inspection activities. The effectiveness of this compliance activity also relies critically on overall public attitudes and support from the relevant business sectors.

Notes

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) will issue further guidance on derogations for Health Care Workers in respect of restricted movement requirements for those who are household close contacts.

Booster Programme

Some groups including older people may be more at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, even if they are already vaccinated. This may be because:

• their immune system does not respond as strongly to vaccination.
• the protection from the vaccination may weaken with time.
• they may be more at risk of catching COVID-19 with society opening up.
• the more infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 is spreading.
• they may have medical conditions that put them more at risk of severe infection from COVID-19.

On that basis, the European Medicines Agency has approved an additional dose of the vaccine and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), in Ireland, has also recommended that vaccine boosters be provided to the following groups:

• Those aged over 60 in the community;
• Residents in long-term care facilities;
• Immunocompromised;
• Healthcare workers;
• Those aged over 50 in the community; and
• Those aged 16-59 with underlying conditions.

Those in approved cohorts become eligible for a booster 5 months after the have been fully vaccinated i.e. after second dose of a two-dose vaccine.

As a general rule, the HSE will be contacting those eligible in line with the approval sequence from NIAC and the individual vaccine schedules of the eligible cohort.

Antigen testing for close contacts

The HSE advise that you should do 3 antigen tests in total. You can do them at any time of the day.

You should do your 3 antigen tests in this order:

• First test on the day you get your tests.
• Second test 2 days after your first test.
• Third test 2 days after your second test.

Speech by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin:

Dia dhaoibh

This evening, all across Europe and across our country, it is increasingly clear that we are experiencing another surge of Covid infection.

In the last week, we have seen the second highest rate of hospital admission in all of 2021.

We have developed and deployed a massive PCR testing and tracing operation – up to 25,000 tests per day.  Yet it is still estimated that for every four detected cases there may be as many as another six asymptomatic, undetected cases in the community.

Clearly, this is too high.

This is the fourth surge in infections that we have experienced as a country, but this time it is different.

It is different because of the extraordinary success of our National Vaccination Programme. 

Without it, there is no doubt that we would now be in a full scale lockdown. 

Because of the vaccination programme and your commitment to it, we are able to keep society and the economy open.

But continued progress in the journey to normal conditions is not inevitable.

The increased socialisation that we now enjoy comes at a cost.  And that cost is an increased risk of infection. 

Our health service, which has endured so much since the outbreak of Covid, is managing these increased numbers, while also maintaining elective treatment. 

And with the return to work and increased socialisation after such a long period of isolation, our hospitals and General Practices across the country are seeing a huge increase in the numbers of people presenting with non-Covid problems.

One example to illustrate this point is the number of our children requiring non-Covid hospital care:  In the six weeks to mid November 2019, the number of children admitted to hospital was below 12,000. Already in the same six-week period in 2021, more than 20,000 children have been cared for in our hospitals.

Our doctors, nurses and care staff are doing an exceptional job in very challenging and difficult circumstances, but obviously if the number of Covid infections and hospitalisations continues to grow at the rate we are currently seeing, no health system anywhere in the world would be able to cope.

The surge that we are now experiencing is a dramatic reminder of what this virus can do and the threat that it continues to represent. 

We need to act now to deal with this surge.

I have always been clear that protecting public health is our first responsibility. I have also been clear that the Government will not hesitate to respond to changes in the profile of the disease, and that is what we have done today.

The range of measures that we have agreed represent, I believe, an appropriate response to the situation we find ourselves in. 

The vaccination and booster programme remain at the core of our response to the disease.  Booster shots are currently being administered to those over 60 in the community and those in residential care facilities, the immunocompromised and healthcare workers. 

Following last night’s decision, we will now make arrangements for its roll-out to everyone in the country with an underlying condition and to everyone else over the age of 50.

The evidence internationally and our own experience with those over 80 who have received a booster is extremely encouraging. Evidence from the UK and elsewhere shows that the booster not only restores the immunity level achieved by two doses, but increases it.

However, we have also agreed a series of additional measures that strengthen the non-pharmaceutical protections that are already in place.

Firstly, we have paused what was already a phased and cautious return to the workplace and our advice is now that everyone should work from home unless it is absolutely necessary that they attend in person.

Next, we have considered what impact the reopening of hospitality has had on the disease. 

We want hospitality to remain open, and we continue to work with the sectors to ensure that the current rules around Covid-passes and other protections are being properly observed. 

I want to re-emphasise to every business owner and every customer how important this is.  When customers are vaccinated the virus is less likely to spread and is less likely to have a serious impact. 

Requiring Covid passes is a proportionate and effective public health measure and these rules must be followed.

We have also decided that the closing time for all on-licensed premises will be midnight, with all customers having to vacate the premises by that time.

The requirement for Covid passes, based on vaccination or recovery, will now be put on a statutory basis for cinemas and theatres. Many are already doing this, but the requirement now applies to all.

Regardless of vaccination status, all household close contacts of a confirmed case should now restrict movement for five days, pending completion of a recommended antigen test.

We have expanded the use of antigen testing and we are further increasing their use throughout society. 

Ag an bpointe seo caithfimid mar phobal a bheith fíorchúramach na treoracha sláinte poiblí a leanúint.

Ní neart go cur le chéile agus sinn ag faire amach do dhaoine eile timpeall orainn.

Is den bhfíorthábhacht é a bheith cúramach anois agus má dhéanaimid sin cabhróidh aire agus cúram faoi láthair linn go fadtéarmach agus sinn ag iarraidh dul I ngleic leis an víreas seo.

I know that the picture emerging across Europe and the increasing numbers over the last week in our own country are a cause of deep concern. And I know that no one wants to go back to a world of widespread restrictions.

That is what this evening is about. 

That is what these changes are about.

Our collective effort over so many months, our shared trust in science and engagement with the vaccination programme, have brought us to the point where virtually all of society and the economy has reopened.

It is only our collective effort – full adherence to the rules that remain in place, making sure we are vaccinated and taking our booster when it becomes available, working from home if we’re able to, wearing our masks, keeping our distance and being aware of our environment;

• it is only this collective effort that will keep our society and economy open;
• that will sustain and maintain our progress;
• that will keep us healthy and safe.

Go raibh mile maith agaibh.

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