Varadkar says roadmap for reopening may be accelerated if numbers allow

The Taoiseach has said some sections of the roadmap for reopening could be brought forward if the medical evidence remains strong.

However, Leo Varadkar told the Dáil that people need to hold the line and wait and see how the numbers are responding.

A decision on the next phase of reopening is expected on June 5th.

He was speaking after the Chief Medical Officer told Government ministers that he won’t be recommending any change to the two-metre social distancing guidelines.

Some members of Cabinet are calling for the rule to be reduced to one metre, in line with World Health Organisation recommendations.

However, Dr Tony Holohan told them that he believes the two-metre rule is needed to continue suppressing the virus.

Mr Varadkar has suggested the issue could be debated at the Dáil COVID-19 committee in a bid to find cross-party consensus on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister Simon Harris told the house that the reproductive rate of the virus remains stable at between 0.4 and 0.5.

He said the figures offer room for cautious optimism

“All of our efforts now, our entire national effort must be to keep the reproduction number below one,” he said.

“To keep cases low so we can keep this virus as weak as possible. Once that R number remains below one, this virus is continuing to be supressed.

“The understandable temptation might be to think that the battle is won and we can drop our guard at last.

“That would be an extremely dangerous position to adopt and obviously that is not the case.”

Phase Two of reopening is currently due to kick in on June 8th.