British plans to ease Covid-19 restrictions ‘too risky’ at this stage, Varadkar says

British government plans to strip away most coronavirus restrictions in England are “too risky” at this stage, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said.

Prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced plans for the majority of England’s remaining curbs to be lifted from July 19th. This would include ending social distancing and making it voluntary rather than compulsory to wear a face mask indoors.

The decision comes in spite of warnings that the country could be recording 50,000 daily Covid-19 cases by that point and amid an increase in hospitalisations as the Delta variant spreads.

“The prospect of packed theatres in the West End and nightclubs in Manchester being packed to the rafters is one that would concern us in this country quite frankly,” Mr Varadkar told reporters in Dublin on Tuesday.

“If things go wrong in England, it will have a spillover effect in Ireland and on our other neighbours.”

Green Party leader and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said the Government would not be throwing the doors open as they were planning to do in England.

“We’re going to get everyone vaccinated, back dining, able to socialise – it will just take a bit of time,” he said. “It’s not going to be a huge change, it’s going to be step by step.”

He also said that people may be able to return to the offices and college campuses in September.

The Department of Health on Tuesday reported 397 further cases of Covid-19 and that 54 people with the disease were being treated in hospital, including 16 in intensive care.

‘Cause for concern’

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan noted a “small but concerning increase in hospitalisations” in recent days, which came 10 to 14 days after the five day moving average of daily Covid-19 cases began to increase. There were 39 people in hospital with the disease two weeks ago.

“This is a cause for concern and we will be monitoring it closely in the days and weeks ahead,” he said in a statement. “To protect yourselves and your loved ones, it is extremely important to take up the opportunity of being vaccinated and come forward for your second dose as soon as it is offered to you.”

HSE chief executive Paul Reid on Tuesday said more than 50 per cent of the adult population were now fully vaccinated, with 69 per cent having had a first dose.

Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the North would “not be following the Boris Johnson model” and is not in a position to remove rules on face masks or social distancing.

‘Reckless’

She described the planned changes in England as“reckless” and said the North “must take our own decisions in the people’s best interests here”.

Stormont ministers are due to meet on Thursday to consider which Covid-19 measures might be relaxed, but they are not expected to make any changes to rules on social distancing or face coverings.

A further 417 Covid-19 cases were reported in the North on Tuesday, with the Department of Health saying 37 people were receiving hospital treatment for the disease, including five in intensive care.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he would “certainly encourage people to continue wearing their face masks and abiding by the social distancing” until rules changed.

The North’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Prof Ian Young, told the BBC that Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK which had a “border with another country where the vaccination rate is significantly lower and that’s something that needs to be factored into decision-making in Northern Ireland.”