Vivienne Clarke
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that Taoiseach Micheál Martin did not say that Level 5 restrictions would last until April and May.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s News at One, Mr Varadkar said that the country was facing into tough restrictions into April and that this was well known.
“We are going in the right direction,” he said, but the number of Covid cases are still “very high” which was why it was necessary to “proceed with caution”.
The advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on Thursday was that schools and childcare could reopen on a phased basis during the month of March “and through the Easter break”.
But to do anything else such as reopening the construction sector or allowing more outdoor activities was too risky at this time, he said.
There were many “positives”, added Mr Varadkar, such as the vaccination programme, the phased return to school and the releasing of pressure on hospitals as Covid numbers go down.
The Tánaiste denied that there were mixed communications coming for the Government because there were three parties involved. “We are all working together, but what we are communicating is bad news.”
