Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said he expects a "normal Christmas" this year without restrictions, as fears grow of rising despite Covid-19 as well as flu, RSV and other seasonal ailments.
The Minister told the Sunday Independent that he does not see a return to restrictions imposed in the last couple of years during the height of the pandemic, particularly around Christmas gatherings. He said there was "no expectation" for that to happen for a third Christmas in a row.
The Minister said that people "definitely should" wear face masks on public transport, even though there is currently no mandate to do this. He is also calling for a campaign to encourage people to wear masks in similar settings in the event of a Covid surge.
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He also told the paper that his department is not planning second Covid-19 boosters for people under the age of 50. Currently, the second booster is available to those over 50, those younger with a risky illness or living in a care facility and healthcare workers.
However, the Minister hinted that while there won't be restrictions, his Department and the HSE is nonetheless planning for a "very difficult winter." He said: " We are planning for a perfect storm of Covid, flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses," he said.
Just last week, Minister Donnelly published the HSE's winter plan which sets out the strategy to deal with such a wave of illness. In the report titled the Strategic Approach for the Management of COVID-19 Preparedness for Autumn/Winter 2022/2023, Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said variants of Covid will continue to emerge.
She said: "There remains a risk that some novel variants will possess properties that confer increased transmissibility, reduced susceptibility to available vaccines, resistance to therapeutics, or altered disease severity. As such, continued vigilance as to the potential impacts of Covid-19 will remain a core priority."
She added: "It is anticipated that Covid-19 will place a significant additional burden over the coming autumn/winter 2022/2023 period on these services (the health system). As such, it will be important that the HSE's winter planning activities have due regard for COVID-19 within the context of the expected seasonal impacts from other respiratory viruses."
The report also stated that "preliminary preparations for drafting of contingency legislation for the potential reintroduction of public health measures in certain circumstance are underway". The report also recommended all people continue to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare settings.
It stated: "Mask wearing is also advised based on individual risk assessment. Anyone who wishes to wear a mask should not be discouraged from doing so.
"Individuals who are vulnerable to COVID-19 are further advised to be aware of the risk associated with activities they may choose to engage in and to take measures to optimally protect themselves. Vulnerable individuals are advised to consider wearing masks in crowded indoor settings.
"The use of FFP2 masks is also an option for vulnerable individuals, their healthcare provider will be best placed to discuss what might be most appropriate for their particular case. If required, the introduction of mask mandates in certain settings (e.g. transport and healthcare) will involve a point-in-time assessment of a constellation of indicators with due consideration of the personal, ethical and public health perspectives.
"Any such mandate will be pursued in a proportionate manner, will be the least intrusive measure to achieve the identified legitimate public health goal(s) and will be of limited duration. " Elsewhere, based on the revised public health advice, Covid testing will no longer be recommended for the general population who are well or with mild illness.
Instead, testing will occur based on a clinical assessment where a clinician requires the result to contribute to the diagnosis and management of an individual patient or when deemed necessary by Public Health in relation to the management of an outbreak or specific public health risk.
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