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LAST UPDATE | 21 Jul 2021
COUPLES PREPARING TO get married next month should “operate on the basis” that 50 people will be permitted at wedding receptions, the Tánaiste has said.
Numbers at wedding receptions are currently restricted to 50 people but the limit was set to potentially increase to 100 next month dependent on the Covid-19 situation.
Speaking to reporters today, Leo Varadkar said the limit “might change to 100″, but he would not advise people to “plan on that basis”.
“As has always been the case, we’ll often set an indicative date or a target date for the further easing of restrictions but we always say to people to operate on the basis that they won’t change,” he said.
Don’t assume that they will change. So, I’d say to anyone who’s planning a wedding in August, operate on the basis that it will be 50.
He added that he “doesn’t anticipate” that there will be many restrictions lifted over the coming few week beyond Monday’s reopening of indoor hospitality.
“While restrictions will be eased in relation to indoor dining from Monday, I don’t anticipate there being very much easing beyond that for the next few weeks, at least until we have a better idea as to where we are,” he said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that a final decision would be made next week on whether the numbers at weddings are increased and he defended the short notice at which the decision would be taken.
“We will be giving notice, I think we’ve already extended it to 50 but we’ll be doing that, we will be making a decision on those and other issue’s next week,” he said.
Delta variant
Martin said that the context for cautious approach is the growth of the Delta variant of Covid-19 which he said was causing concern.
He was speaking as it was confirmed by the Department of Health that 1,378 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland. The country’s 14-day incidence has increased from 93 cases per 100,000 population in the last week of June to 246 cases per 100,000 today.
“We have to work in a very focused way to try to manage what will be a continuing spike in cases over the coming weeks. Monitor the relationship between that spike in cases and hospitalisations and ICU numbers, so it will be a challenging period ahead,” Martin said.
Martin met yesterday with Deputy CMO Dr Ronan Glynn and NPHET’s head of modelling Philip Nolan and said that “one of the core messages was the uncertainty around this in terms of the actual numbers of cases and so on.”
He added: “The experts are not certain as to how this will play out.”
All of us have to be vigilant, vaccinated and unvaccinated. Vaccination protects us from severe illness, protects us from hospitalisation to a far greater extent than unvaccinated status does, but it doesn’t prevent you from being infected. So the need for vigilance is on all of us.
Speaking about the increasing infection rate, Varadkar said Ireland is “without a doubt now well into a fourth wave, a Delta wave of infections. ”
He echoed the Taoiseach’s comments by saying “nobody knows for sure how it will turn out” but that cases may peak at between 3,000-4,000 per day.
“I’m taking the optimistic view that we’ll follow a similar course to Scotland, maybe peak around 3,000-4000 cases a day in the next few weeks, then fall back and not see hospitalisations rise much above 500, ICU not much above 50 but we can’t know for sure,” he said.
Varadkar said the wave “needs to be taken seriously” but that vaccinations have seen the fatality rate during the Delta wave fall to a fraction of what it was earlier in the pandemic.
He said the case fatality rate is currently between 0.1-0.2%, so for every 1,000 cases there may be one or two deaths, whereas during the Alpha wave in January it was at about 2%.
The case fatality ratio for Delta is one-tenth of what it was for Alpha because of the vaccine program. So when it comes to deaths, 2,000 cases a day is more like 200 cases a day back in January. It’s not exactly the same when it comes to hospitalsations, we’re still not really sure when it comes to the hospitilsation ratio.
He added: “We could see hospitalisation certainly in the hundreds, in and around 400-500, ICU numbers around 40-50, and if that’s the case it is manageable. We need to bear in mind that we have 900 more hospital beds than we had a year ago and about 800 more since pandemic began.”
- With reporting by Órla Dwyer
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You have to plan for 50 at a wedding which a 1 day event and most of the people there will be most likely vaccinated but schools can have over a 1,000 of unvaccinated students in the same building for 9 months. Madness.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: Schools are managed very well, they operate in pods, staggered times etc. etc. and it is the same kids everyday. Apples and Oranges
@Carpentoza: why can’t weddings have larger crowds then and operate like schools with the pods?
@Eoin Fitzgerald: yeh. Pods in hotel dining rooms replacing tables. Handling hundreds of customers. 2-4 each, all in a bubble. Easy enough. Can’t see why they can’t do it.
@john smith iv: It’s the evil drink they fear at weddings but they won’t say that. Mr Delta only gets ya when you stand up to have a dance, maskless at meal for 90 plus mins, no sure he’s grand with that, no interest.
@Carpentoza: not entirely true….
@Eoin Fitzgerald: what is wrong with this government. People going to a wedding would most likely be in their 30s and 40s and 50s upwards. Why would you have to limit to 50 when all the people going to the wedding I am going to are vaccinated. What
These guys have brides and grooms in a state of chaos. They’re allowing thousands of people to gather on beaches but won’t allow a couple to have their wedding night as envisaged. They have completely ignored the weddings industry and it is a total shame. Couples hung out to dry and out of pocket, businesses completely ignored with no correspondence. No sign of a simple structured plan. Events are happening regardless. Some hotels are facilitating couples, which is right. Suppliers to the weddings industry have had their livelihoods decimated and no support if any value has been discussed or set out. Parties are happening all over the country. Beer gardens are full. Hotels are operating as normal but this weak, and leaderless excuse for a government won’t tackle the issue.
@Shane McGrath: Shame, shame, shame on them. I very much hope that this government and those three parties are shown the ire of the Irish people in the next election. The alternative couldn’t possibly handle this any worse. Give them a shot at it, if for no other reason to show this (non governing) government that they answer to and work for the people, not the other way round.
@Shane McGrath: I think we know by now that indoors is worse than outdoors. Right?
@john smith iv: We do. And hotels are full to capacity with people indoors every night in August.
@Shane McGrath: I agree with you but you can’t compare people going to beaches to indoor weddings.
@Shane McGrath: I’ve stayed at hotels and most people were eating outside in the recent weather. Plus they have social distancing inside. A hotel dining room that used to hold 100 would probably only hold 50 now. To be honest a sweaty wedding with the traditional dance is pretty likely to produce spreader events.
@K C: 80,000on a beach waterford last Sunday. Yes you can compare it…. To 50 people and a bit of music, no deaths, and a heavily vaccinated society. You can discuss the lunacy all day with me. The double standard approach is killing support, and the people are now (almost) finished supporting this government.
@Shane McGrath: no you can’t compare indoor to outdoor.
@Shane McGrath: Go away out of that, with your 80,000 on a beach.
@Shane McGrath: Have we heard any different from the opposition no we have not.
Stop politicising the virus.
@Shane McGrath: yep in a state losing money booking re-booking. But that’s ok They still get paid and kids teens go back to school but we can’t have a normal wedding. They’ll be riots on the street if they don’t make some sort of proper road map.
@Shane McGrath: I’ve only been in one recently and it’s managed very well…even though its packed. They even use the ballroom for dinners and drinks with social distancing and everyone wears a mask while walking around.
@Shane McGrath: there is not a beach in Ireland that could hd 80,000 people
What if they hold it in croke Park? Is it 500 then ?
Is the Taoiseach really suggesting that people leave it to the last minute to plan a wedding? Couples have had to cancel weddings…sonetimes more than once. A wedding with table service, no music and closing time of 11.30 can surely be regarded as a fairly controlled environment
Same with Communions and Confirmations 50 can attend Mass but won’t allow ceremonies because of the after party which for the majority is a family thing in the back garden with a bouncy castle, while thousands flock to beaches.,
It’s a bit late to be saying that now ya muppet
@Ger Cassidy: I know. Hopefully these lads are working more than the standard work week. How do they not have the time to work out a realistic plan for each of the main sectors that have restrictions imposed on them, backup plans, reopening plans and communicate clearly with everyone with as much advanced notice as possible. Very unfair to businesses and stakeholders. And easing rules should be consistent across the board…….. We’ve been locked down for so long with plenty of time to plan reopening but everything seems so last minute, unorganized and confusing.
@Ger Cassidy: they’ve said 50 for months.
@john smith iv: they said it would be 100 from Aug 1
@john smith iv: they said 100 from August….. Bit late notice to say plan for 50, 100 isn’t guaranteed
@Ger Cassidy: yes they did but they always put in a rider…depending on Covid numbers. I agree it’s very hard to plan. We have a wedding next month, currently have 75 guests. May have to lose 25.
@Paul Hedderman: Have you not learned by now everything is driven by the virus and the data they receive. They can plan anything they respond to its movement or changes.
@Paul Hedderman: They also said that could change depending on the data.
@Gary Kearney: Good man Gary. Wheres the consistency where its only 50 at a wedding but a hotel can provide indoor dining to any amount of unvaccinated? Wheres the consistency with you can fly in a plane for many hrs vaccinated, with a negative test or having recovered from the virus but only 50 at weddings, can people not be tested, vaccinated for higher wedding numbers?…… why are they so late at implementing travel plan when its been closed for a over a year, did the not envisage it restarting? Plenty of advanced notice! Or scrambling to put an indoor dining plan in place?….. Etc. Should the bulk of all this not be done behind the scenes over the past year so they’re prepared?
@Gary Kearney: Also Gary, have you not learned by now that our govt dont know how to manage the country and are reactive as opposed to proactive. Communication should be clear and concise which it hasn’t been. Rules should be clear and consistent but they’re not. No real leadership…… Only the other day minister for state tweeting you can travel on vaccine cert or negative test and there are people in forced quarantine in Malta because Malta des6nt accept negative test or HSE doc. Tweet is still on his feed right now days later….. Unbelievable
Shame on them there doing everything to keep controlling the people Leo loves the spotlight and hearing himself talk SH-T with a snear on his face
@Margaret Kane: Your right Margaret Shame on them for trying to stop a deadly pandemic from taking any more people before their time.
Saving people from themselves is a terrible thing to do.
@Gary Kearney: Shame on them for advising that weddings would be increased in August and now its 11 days before and hes saying to prepare for 50?!?! There has been no communication on weddings for a long time and now 11 days before theres a wishy washy statement on it but nothing definitive. Meanwhile based on previous info couples were preparing for 100 guests as advised. Wedding numbers need to be finalized weeks before a wedding for food orders and preparation. What about the bride and groom or the guests, do they not need to know?……… Educate yourself and check the stats on the age groups being infected and compare the hospital numbers to the flu numbers every year. Also take a look at the UKs figures
@Gary Kearney: what a silly comment
@Gary Kearney: YAWN GARY.
@Margaret Kane: Most of them are!
Pandemic is over. Let’s move on.
@Barry Ryan: Barry haas decided all hail Barry. When did you decide that was it when you realised a little under 5,000 people passed away today from it. Or was it when there was only 44,000 cases in the UK where they have opened up.
We have had a 90% increase in cases.
But you say its over.
@Gary Kearney: Stop living in the past Gary. Vaccine is rolled our to the vulnerable. Death rate has plummeted as a result and will continue to stay low. UKs has plummeted as a result as well despite their huge daily cases for a long while. Theres a reason were vaccinating….. People are gonna catch it while the rollout continues, less serious symptoms than the first 3 waves…… I feel sorry for those that live by the daily cases and fail to see the results of the vaccinations, or even understand that of the half that arent vaccinated, majority of the under 35s, 99.9% off them won’t have a serious illness….. Wait for it…… BECAUSE THEY’RE THE LEAST VULNERABLE!!!!. Its a different landscape now but you keep pointing out the stats that accrued when there was no vacciene.
@Paul Hedderman: *death rate and hospital numbers
@Gary Kearney: AND YAWN AGAIN GARY.
@Gary Kearney: put your head under the duvet and stay there or else go out and play with the buses
Thats the Bride sorted.The groom is not going to get a look in
Here’s a complete irrational thought…..why not treat weddings like you’re going to be treating pubs next week.
I thought the UK gov were a joke but, fair play Ireland you’re not far behind
Thanks Leo! You’ve just killed my buzz for next month
Does anyone know situation with communion and confirmations. When will they happen
OK the waves can go back to the sea now.
But you can go indoors if you are vaccinated in a restaurant with over 100 people but you can’t have a wedding with 100 people doesn’t make sense. Why bother getting vaccinated if they are stopping us with these ridc rules. The rules do not make sense. If I knew this
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