Leo Varadkar has insisted that Ireland won't be turning Covid restrictions "on and off" despite soaring infections.
The Tanaiste stressed that public health measures should not be implemented as the chair of the GP sub-committee Dr Denis McCauley called for mask wearing to be reintroduced for several weeks.
Mr Varadkar said any advice about additional public health measures being rolled out would have to come from the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan.
The Enterprise Minister said it is very clear Ireland is being gripped by an Omicron Plus wave, however, it is reassuring fatalities and ICU numbers remain low.
He told the Irish Mirror: “We can’t be turning them on and off.”
Dr Holohan is still in a position to guide the Government despite NPHET being stood down in mid-February.
There were 1,395 patients with Covid-19 in Irish hospitals on Wednesday morning - an increase of 56 - with 61 people battling the virus in ICUs.
He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland: “We don’t want to end up in a situation where we have to reimpose restrictions but he said the situation will be monitored.”
Meanwhile, Dr McCauley, the chair of the Irish Medical Organisation’s GP sub-committee warned Ireland is being gripped by a Covid surge, but people are reluctant to acknowledge it.
The Donegal-based doctor, who warned the number of patients in ICU and hospitals is gradually creeping up, said: “I think there is a problem and I think we need to recognise it.”
Dr McCauley said he believes slight changes need to be made and additional public health measures - including mask wearing - should be reintroduced for several weeks.
He added: “Put your mask in your back pocket again. Have it with you.
“If you’re going to an indoor area wear your mask again, if you’re in a large populated area outside and there’s a lot of people around, wear your mask.”
Dr McCauley said most coronavirus symptoms have remained the same, but there has been a marginal increase in people suffering with gastrointestinal issues.
He said: “The vast majority of people feel quite unwell with respiratory symptoms, this upper respiratory - sore throat, sinus infection.”
Meanwhile, Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation’s Special Envoy on Covid-19, warned that soaring infection clusters are likely to happen every three or four months.
He said if restrictions were removed more slowly, such as mask wearing, it would have led to a a more gradual surge than the current surge being experienced.
Dr Nabarro, who insisted this is a dangerous situation but not as severe as it was was 18 months ago, said: “I think authorities are concluding that they can live with this kind of situation.
“They’ll be watching it very carefully. But perhaps this is the way things are going to be in the future.
“There’ll be quite a lot of Covid being transmitted, not so many people in hospital because of the high levels of vaccination.”
