Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Ceisteanna (541)

Kathleen Funchion

Ceist:

541. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if the restrictions for weddings will be relaxed in August 2021; and the number of guests who will be allowed to attend a wedding in August. [29918/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy will be aware, on 29 June, Government announced the next phase of reopening the economy and society in line with Recovery and Resilience: The Path Ahead.

While significant progress is being made in relation to the roll-out of our vaccination programme and the position had been broadly stable over the earlier part of June, the prevalence of the more transmissible Delta variant is rapidly increasing in Ireland and this poses a significant risk, in particular to those who are not yet fully vaccinated. For this reason, a number of higher risk indoor activities will not recommence as planned on 5 July, pending the implementation of a system to verify vaccination or immunity status. However, as an exception, weddings already planned will be allowed to proceed with the planned increase in the number of guests to 50 at the wedding reception with protective measures from 5 July.

Unfortunately, due to current uncertainties with regard to the Delta variant there is not yet an indication of the number of guests that will be permitted to attend a wedding in August. The epidemiological situation will be monitored on an ongoing basis and the level of restrictions will be kept under review by Government.

As we further ease public health measures, our approach must continue to be cautious, gradual and phased, with sufficient time between any easing of measures to assess the impact. This will be critical to ensure that our progress in controlling the virus is maintained. Significant and sustained progress has been made on suppressing the virus over recent months due to the huge effort of people across the country. By working together, we have saved lives and limited the impact of the disease on society in Ireland. To protect the gains of recent months we must continue to practice basic preventative behaviours and to follow public health guidelines.

Barr
Roinn