After weeks of strict lockdown due to Covid-19, it seems Ireland is now on the right track. The numbers are encouraging: there is a clear decrease in deaths and hospital admissions related to the coronavirus. This trend shows the effectiveness of the current lockdown… and could already allow the Irish government to consider a return to normal by the end of summer… provided the Irish remain cautious and the vaccination campaign continues smoothly…
Ireland Becomes the EU’s Good Student Again
Numbers Are Stabilizing, Experts Hope to Reach 200 Cases per Day by March
For the first time in 2021, Ireland recorded no coronavirus-related deaths over a 24-hour period. This encouraging sign, combined with a significant easing of hospital pressure, suggests better control of the health crisis by the Emerald Isle.
It must be said that Ireland was caught off guard: initially praised as a model in 2020, the situation slipped out of control after the Christmas holidays. The surge in cases, combined with the British variants, plunged the country into a dramatic situation: it then recorded the highest infection rate in the world!
Since then, Ireland has managed to recover by imposing a strict lockdown. Schools were closed, remote work became mandatory, and non-essential travel was banned. Difficult choices, but they seem to be paying off.
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin expressed satisfaction with these results but still urges caution. According to him, it’s essential not to relax and to continue the fight while accelerating the ongoing vaccination efforts.
For Michael Martin, the arrival of a promising new vaccine from “Johnson & Johnson” could also change the game for the country. If it receives approval from the European Medicines Agency next March, it would be an additional weapon in the fight against Covid-19.
Indeed, this new vaccine offers many logistical advantages: a single dose would be enough for immunity, and its storage conditions are easier (it can be kept in a standard refrigerator). These benefits could dramatically speed up the vaccination campaign and, according to the government, make a return to normal by the end of summer 2021 possible.
