Dublin – Ireland said on Tuesday it will restrict indoor drinking and eating in bars and restaurants to those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or who’ve previously been infected by it due to concerns about the Delta variant.
The nation joins a handful of places in Europe to introduce the measure, including Austria, Denmark, and Israel, whereas Moscow has brought in similar restrictions.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who announced a general slowdown of the easing of public health restrictions, mentioned that health officials informed him they thought that the variant made indoor hospitality too dangerous for the unvaccinated.
“The safest way to now proceed with a return to indoor hospitality is to limit access to those who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID infection,” Martin mentioned.
Only 41% of Ireland’s adult population has been vaccinated, with 65% having obtained one dose, the health minister mentioned on Monday. A senior health official earlier this month mentioned some in their 20s may have to wait till September for a first dose.
Indoor venues such as theatres and concert venues may also face restrictions, Martin later informed journalists.
Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar mentioned that the only other option to a vaccine verification system that had been presented to the government by Irish health officials was closing indoor hospitality for the foreseeable future.
“The alternative is not a delay of a few weeks … the alternative is a prolonged delay until we reach herd immunity, and with new variants very likely, we simply cannot say when that would be,” Varadkar informed a press briefing.
Varadkar mentioned that while individuals would “feel it’s divisive, that they are being left outside”, the government felt it was the least bad option.
Bars, restaurants, and cafes have been closed in Ireland for much of the past 16 months, with the latest national lockdown in place since late December. Outdoor dining and drinking have been allowed since June 7. The nation also has some of the strictest travel restrictions within the European Union.
Ireland has the fifth-highest rate of COVID-19 infections of the 31 nations monitored by the European Centre for Disease Control.
Martin mentioned indoor dining would now not be reopened on Monday as planned but would be delayed till a new system of vaccine certification has been implemented.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly mentioned the details of the verification had not been finalized but might involve a QR code readable by a smartphone.
