Vintners Association response
The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) have said they will reject any move to separate out the vaccinated from the non vaccinated, describing the suggestion as 'ridiculous' and 'unworkable.'
It comes as the Cabinet are set to meet Tuesday morning to consider a proposal to allow only people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to be admitted to indoor dining.
The LVA said any such system would put every pub, restaurant and café in the country in an impossible position and would also lead to unvaccinated staff being charged with having to police who can and cannot enter their premises.
In light of the ongoing concerns around the delta variant, the LVA is proposing that the reopening of indoor hospitality should be delayed until July 19th to allow for those in the 60-69 year demographic to receive additional vaccines.
Russia Covid surge
Russian authorities have reported 652 new coronavirus deaths, the highest daily tally in the pandemic.
The new record comes as Russia struggles to cope with a surge in infections and deaths and low vaccine uptake.
Russia’s state coronavirus task force has been registering over 20,000 new coronavirus cases and around 600 deaths every day since last Thursday.
On Tuesday, 20,616 new contagions were recorded.
Reopening delayed
The reopening of indoor services at pubs and restaurants will be postponed while a system allowing people to prove they have been vaccinated is developed, the Government is expected to announce later on Tuesday.
The plans were discussed at Cabinet on Tuesday morning after the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) recommended that such a regime must be put in place if the reopening is to proceed.
According to The Irish Times, the Cabinet has decided that a plan to bring this about is to be developed by July 19th.
This would coincide with the restart date for international travel under the EU digital Covid certificate.
Niac advice
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) has cleared the AstraZeneca and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine to be used for under-40s.
Niac has also said the gap between doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine can be cut in half from eight weeks to four weeks.
The use of the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines is currently limited to over-50s, but the Government has been told this can now be changed to vaccinate more of the younger age cohorts, according to The Irish Times.
This will aid in speeding up the vaccine rollout with cases of the more transmissible Delta variant rising in the country.
Cross-border bridge
The Government has announced €3 million in funding to progress work on the cross-Border Narrow Water Bridge between the Mourne mountains and the Cooley peninsula.
The money from the Shared Island Fund will see the project brought to tender stage, based on the current design of the bridge and existing planning permission.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said further funding will be allocated from the Shared Island Fund once the due diligence process has been completed and the final costs of the project are determined.
Planning permission is in place for a 280m cable-stayed bridge, anchored by two towers at either end, for car and cycle traffic.
Elizabeth Banks moves to Ireland
Hollywood star Elizabeth Banks has moved to Ireland with her family as filming starts on her next movie, Cocaine Bear.
In a short video posted on social media, Banks poses with an Irish flag, enjoys a day out at the sea with her children and even enjoys a packet of Tayto crisps!
She also revealed she is adjusting to “driving on the wrong side of the road”.
The film is based on the true story of a 175-pound black bear killed by consuming 40 kilos of pure cocaine in Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia, USA — thought to be jettisoned from an aeroplane by a former narcotics cop and lawyer found dead on a nearby freeway after his parachute failed to deploy.
