Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar outlining eight principles she says need to guide decisions in relation to easing current restrictions in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In a two-page letter, posted on Twitter, she said disease transmission must be under control and that the Government needed "to plan to lift restrictions on an all-island basis".
Ms McDonald's eight principles are:
- Disease transmission must be under control, with a consistent reduction in new infections, hospitalisations and patients in intensive care
- There must be capacity in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact of anyone testing positive for Covid-19
- The health system must have the capacity to provide sufficient intensive care given the risk of a second wave
- Modelling and plans to lift restrictions must be conducted on an all-island basis
- Restarting economic activity should be phased in and only when it can be done in a safe way
- The risk of importing new cases must be managed by having clear and improved policies for all those arriving from other jurisdictions and monitoring of compliance
- There is a need to ensure there is far more urgency in protecting vulnerable groups and those at higher risk
- There is a need to look at how schools and universities might re-open in a phased way which is safe
Exit from emergency measures safely. My letter to An Taoiseach #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/HElLeoTwxN
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 28, 2020
A second Cabinet meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday, after which it is possible Mr Varadkar will disclose what decisions the Government has taken regarding easing or maintaining coronavirus restrictions.
Read:
Latest coronavirus stories
