A Nenagh based consultant says the hospitality sector is unlikely to reopen for indoor dining by July 19th.
Restaurant and pub owners had been hoping that they could start trading properly again later this month with a further meeting planned with senior Government officials on the issue of indoor dining today.
However Dr Mary Ryan – Consultant Endocrinology at Bon Secour in Limerick and Aut Even Hospital Kilkenny – says the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 will have a major impact.
“We’re unfortunately following from the UK where 99% of Covid cases are actually the Delta variant.”
“If you look at yesterdays figures here we’ve the highest number in three weeks – 581 new cases and 17 in ICU – so unfortunately I think that this Delta is really ramping up and it’s highly contagious.”
“So I can’t see us opening by the 19th – I think the cases are going to really ramp up now in the next weeks.”
