Taoiseach Micheál Martin has suggested that indoor diners may not be required to present a Digital Covid Cert once the vaccination programme has been concluded.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Martin said the need for the Digital Covid Cert indoors reassessed “at the end of the vaccination programme”.
The current phase of the vaccination programme will finish at the end of September, before booster vaccinations commence.
The Taoiseach said the Government would be guided by National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) advice.
He said a “comprehensive” plan for the reopening of sectors that are still closed will be released on August 31st.
Cabinet will meet on that date and Government will sign off on “a roadmap for the next phase of managing Covid-19 and also reopening the remaining sectors of society, returning to work, offices, the live entertainment sector, the arts, theatre, and a whole range of indoor activities that currently are not open”.
There is significant pressure for the live entertainment sector to be reopened but Mr Martin refused to be drawn on specific sectors.
"We always said that we will open on a phased basis, that we wouldn't be opening everything at once and we take onboard public health advice at all time because our only objective is to protect people from getting the disease, getting into hospital and getting into ICU," he said.
As The Irish Times reports, with schools and universities set to reopen early in September, coalition sources said they were hopeful of removing further restrictions later in the month, but which restrictions are being considered for removal is not yet clear.
