Leo Varadkar: Growing confidence elderly may get Covid vaccine in new year
"there Irish Is We Care As Head For Horizon" Into And For Months Vaccine The The Elderly On Prepared Lockdowns" Workers Varadkar "local A For The Public Health Hope Winter But Further Mr Said Be Should
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says he is optimistic Ireland can begin vaccinating the most vulnerable against Covid-19 in the new year.
The surprising admission came as Mr Varadkar was speaking in Kildare where he announced new supports for local businesses, after localised restrictions saw the county's economy suffer a second blow.
Mr Varadkar said "there is hope on the horizon" for a vaccine for the elderly and health care workers but the Irish public should be prepared for further "local lockdowns" as we head into winter months.
"A lot of progress is being made in terms of the vaccine," he said.
"And I think there's growing confidence that in the first half of the new year, we'll be in a position to vaccinate older people, those most at risk and health care workers.
"The phase we're entering into with the virus is to try to suppress the virus, at the same time, open up our economy, our schools and our colleges and everything else.
"That in some ways is a game of cat and mouse, and that does mean local restrictions having different levels of being turned on and off for the next couple of months."
Mr Varadkar noted there was serious concern about the spike in viruses in Dublin and says although he doesn't "want to see any additional restrictions imposed on my constituents unless that is absolutely necessary".
"I don't want to see any more businesses having to close or people laid off for the second time in a year, but at the same time, I'm absolutely convinced that the best economic policy is to put public health first because if you end up in a situation where the virus grows out of control, where staff are sick that's not going to work for business either.
"So the best economic policy in my view, is public health first."
Cabinet is due to meet on Tuesday morning to finalise the 'living with Covid' plan and decide on whether further restrictions are necessary for counties where the virus is spiking.
"The truth is the situation in Dublin is worrying," Mr Varadkar added.
"Depending on how you can judge a 10 or 20 fold increase in the incidence of the virus and in the space of a few weeks, and while that has not yet resulted in a dramatic increase in people at hospital or ICU beds, the truth is that is probably going to head that way if we don't get on top of it.
"There is an opportunity to turn the curve again and flatten the curve again and on Dublin we will have to make a decision tomorrow.
"But what I can say is data based on the evidence, the situation in Dublin is markedly different from the rest of the country and that will require a different response."