This coming Friday, we'll find out if the current restrictions we've been living with for 6 weeks can begin to be eased and the gradual lifting of lockdown will begin.
Speaking to Dermot and Dave this morning, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the current figures are 'reassuring' and while there's the possibility that might change over the coming days, he is 'much more comfortable now' than he was a week or two ago.
We never read too much into any single day of figures because you can have lots of blips, so we look at a five or seven day average. And what’s reassuring over the past couple of days is that we’re seeing the number of new deaths being reported trending downwards, the number of new cases trending downwards, fewer people in ICU every day, fewer people in hospital every day with Covid. There’s always the possibility that may change over the next couple of days, but I don’t think so. I don’t want to raise expectations and them dash them on Friday but things are going in the right direction and have been for the past couple of weeks and I’m much more comfortable now than I was a week or two ago.
An Taoiseach also confirmed that the pandemic unemployment payment and wage subsidy scheme will have to be extended, though wouldn't confirm for how much longer.
We do intend to extend it, I can’t say how long we’ll extend it (for), one thing we’ll probably do is extend the temporary wage subsidy scheme longer than the pandemic unemployment because we’ll be encouraging employers to take people back on. So when you’re offered your job back, if you refuse it you lose your pandemic unemployment payment but your employer will be able to take you back on the wage subsidy scheme.
When asked about requests by pub sector to be allowed to re-open as soon as June 10th, An Taoiseach said they are 'determined' to work with sectors hoping to get back to work.
We’re going to listen to anything any business or sector have to say about opening earlier. The key test for us is if it’s possible to open a business and maintain good hygiene and social distancing. The truth is that in a pub that is very difficult, pubs had to close before they were told to close because they weren’t able to maintain social distancing in a number of cases and the difficulty then for the pubs and the publicans, and I really feel for them, is if they do maintain the 2m rule and so on, they might be able to open but would they be viable. But it is something we’re determined to work through with them, but as things stand we won’t see pubs, nightclubs, entertainment venues open until mid-August.
Which means that he'll have to wait a little longer for his ideal day after the pandemic which he described as 'a couple of drinks with some friends'.
I’d love a pint, I haven’t a pint on draught for a long time. I think some pubs are delivering but I haven’t availed of that yet. I live for the summer, I love football, love the concerts and that’s probably all off realistically but definitely a couple of drinks with some friends. I’m really looking forward to that whenever it’s possible again. I should say having dinner with my Mum and Dad as well.
