The Government’s strategy to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland has worked, according to the Taoiseach.
Micheál Martin said the Government had delivered on its promise to prioritise the reopening of schools.
He suggested that a more contagious variant of the virus was responsible for stubborn case numbers.
“We’ve been clear in terms of our strategy and our strategy has worked,” he said.
“It has worked because numbers have come dramatically down — we’re now I think the third lowest in case of incidence across Europe.”
Mr Martin added: “But it’s still at a high level relative to the second wave, principally because of the variant.
“We have fulfilled what we said we would do in terms of schools and so on.”
Restrictions
Mr Martin's comments came as a further 24 deaths and 371 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Tuesday.
The number of people hospitalised with the virus remains around the level seen at the peak of the second wave earlier in the autumn of 2020.
There are currently 357 people in hospital — a decrease of two since yesterday — while 76 people are in intensive care.
The Minister for Health has said that the Government’s assessment of easing restrictions after April 5th will identify a number of areas considered to be low risk.
Asked if all classes in schools would reopen after Easter, Stephen Donnelly said that he had not been involved in any conversation that suggested schools would not all reopen.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases identified in schools last week has more than tripled from the week before.
Business owners such as publicans, facing continued closure under restrictions, have called on the Government to provide a “road map” to indicate what conditions will be required for them to reopen.
