‘Who is Running the Country?’ Ciara Kelly wants to know who is Deciding Public Health Policy

November 16, 2021 Admin Irish News

<h2>Hard to Suck up Added Restrictions</h2> Ciara Kelly would find it ‘very hard to suck up added restrictions if the booster campaign and the antigen testing is not rolled out.’   It comes as a Government minister says remote working is ‘one of the positive lessons from COVID-19’.   Heather Humphreys was speaking as the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is advising people to continue to work from home, if possible, following a meeting on Thursday.   They are also encouraging people to reduce their social contacts, and stick to the public health advice on ventilation and face masks.   It comes as 3,680 new cases of the virus were reported in Ireland – while 543 patients are in hospital.   There are 97 people in intensive care, which is 23 higher than five days ago.   Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys told The Hard Shoulder she believes remote working is the way to go.   “I think we need to be clear here that there’s a lot of self-responsibility. We have to consider that this virus is still around.   “Myself – as Minister for Rural and Community Development – of course I’m a huge advocate for remote working.   “In fact, I believe it’s one of the positive lessons from COVID-19 that we should embrace.   “For some it works well, when you have the employer and the employee on-board.   “We have a lot of investment, and a lot of support across the country, in developing a national network of over 400 hubs.   “I do believe remote working should be a permanent fixture of our lives in some shape or form post-COVID”.   But she says she knows this will not suit everyone.   “I know not every worker in the country can work from their home, or from a remote working hub.   “So maybe there’s a blended arrangement that can come, that we can use. We’re very familiar with all of this from before”.   Minister Humphreys says the Government will consider the advice before acting.   “This is the NPHET advice, and Government will consider it – they’ve just finished their meeting this evening, I haven’t seen [the advice] yet.   “I think it’s important that Government considers this and that’s the job of Government.   “We take all the advice onboard and then we reach a decision.   “I’m not obviously going to make a decision in isolation here; I think it’s important that I talk to my Government colleagues and then we make a decision on that.   “But I think also where possible I am a big advocate of remote working, and I think that – where possible – that it can be accommodated both between employers and employees we should certainly be looking at that”.   Credit to : Newstalk

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