No plans to extend COVID certs or reintroduce work-from-home order - Donnelly

There are no plans to reintroduce full work-from-home orders or extend the use of COVID certs, the Health Minister has told Newstalk Breakfast.

Stephen Donnelly was speaking after NPHET again urged people to reduce their social contacts with case numbers remaining stubbornly high.

Around 25,000 new cases have been reported in the last week – meaning one-in-200 people have tested positive in the past seven days.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is meeting today to discuss whether further measures are needed.

A full work from home policy is due to be discussed; however, on Newstalk Breakfast Minister Donnelly said the idea was not under consideration by Government.

“I haven’t received any advice to that end and it is not something the Government is actively considering at the moment,” he said.

“I think at the press conference last night, the NPHET team were being asked about a lot of different hypotheticals and they were giving a view generally that given the cases numbers right now they would prefer people to be opting for the safer option.”

Last night, the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said he would support the use of COVID certs by businesses outside travel and hospitality.

Minister Donnelly said a mandatory extension of their use is “not on the cards.”

“It is not advice I have had and it is not something Government is considering,” he said.

“Dr Holohan was asked outright for his opinion – is it the kind of thing he would like to see, is it the kind of thing that would make things safer.

“Of course, it would make things safer. The more the COVID pass is used, the safer it is. It protects the people using the service, it protects the people working in the service.

“But in terms of regulation or Government policy, that is not something we are looking at, at the moment.”