Current Covid wave 'does not justify' return of public health restrictions - Taoiseach

The Government has no plans to reintroduce Covid-19 restrictions, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mrl Martin said the Government is guided by public health advice in relation to Covid-19 and he has been in touch with the Chief Medical Officer.

While the BA2 variant is highly transmissible,  Mr Martin said it does not appear to be damaging health in the same way as earlier variants.

However, he did acknowledge that the high number of cases is placing intense pressure on the healthcare systems.

Mr Martin said the country is in a new phase of Covid-19 and the guidance remains to wear a mask.

However, he did not envisage a return to new restrictions. 

"Essentially, the current wave because it does not justify the return of economic restrictions, or the restrictions that we had in earlier phases of Covid-19," Mr Martin said. "That's the fundamental advice in public health.'

A new advisory group is being put assembled to guide the Government on Covid-19 going forward, he said.

Earlier today, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation representing nurses in Emergency Departments and overcrowded wards and the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine representing doctors working in Emergency Departments jointly called for Government assistance to curb the spread of COVID-19.

They said higher rates of infection are causing high rates of hospital admission. Hospitals are overwhelmed and staff need real assistance, the organisations outlined.

They noted that over 10,000 patients have been without a bed since the mask mandate was lifted on February 28th and over 1,601 patients are in hospital currently with COVID.