Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
564. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health his views on the strategy known as zero Covid; if his Department or NPHET has carried out an analysis on the feasibility of a zero-Covid strategy; if copies of advice NPHET provided to his Department on a zero-Covid strategy will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43271/20]
View answerIt is appreciated that 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for everyone and that there are many aspects of normal life that have been altered by the emergence of COVID-19, and the response that has been required. Through our collective efforts, we have saved lives and limited the impact of the disease on society in Ireland. Furthermore, as part of the State's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and subject to authorisation by the European Medicines Agency, the good news is that Ireland is on the cusp of deploying at least two COVID-19 vaccines as part of a national vaccination programme.
The Government has always been clear that a “zero covid” option is not one that is available to Ireland due to a number of factors, most pertinently the border with Northern Ireland. Our proximity to Europe and the nature of supply chains we are part of, both as an exporter and importer of vital goods, precludes such as approach. The clear advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has been and continues to be that our overarching objective must be to suppress the virus to the lowest level possible and to maintain it at a low level. This is essential for protecting public health and our core priorities of education, health and social care services and protecting the most vulnerable to the disease.
The Government’s medium-term Strategy Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID- 19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19, in a range of areas, over a period of 6 – 9 months.
The Plan aims to allow society and businesses to operate as normally as possible, while protecting our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.
The Plan consists of 5 levels. Each level sets out what is permitted for social or family gatherings, work and public transport, bars, hotels and restaurants, exercise activities and religious services, at that moment in time. Each level contains a “basket” of measures which are intended, collectively, to contribute to lowering the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in alignment with the risk level at that time. The set of measures, individually, do not comprise a list of activities or places which are equally safe. Instead, they are “baskets” of measures which are informed by public health understanding of the disease.
The measures in place for each level reflect the prevailing disease situation and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.
Information in relation to the public health measures in place at all levels of the Plan are available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/resilience-recovery-2020-2021-plan-for-living-with-covid-19/
