Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has advised the public to walk out of bars and restaurants if they are not asked for their Covid certificates.
Dr Holohan said walking out and not returning will help the hospitality sector to comply with health guidelines that only allow people who have been fully vaccinated to be served in an indoor setting.
Dr Holohan’s advice comes in advance of a meeting between the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the hospitality sector on Tuesday about adherence to public health guidelines.
In a video posted on his Twitter feed, Dr Holohan admitted that people do not want to hear public health messaging anymore but Covid-19 is “not releasing its grip”.
If you haven't yet been vaccinated, or if it's time for your booster, please ensure to come forward for that vaccine.
Our individual behaviour and adherence to all the basic public health advice that we are so familiar with has worked over the course of this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/leartdyXSk— Dr Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) November 6, 2021
Dr Holohan said the basics of mask-wearing, hand-washing and avoiding risky environments still apply even among vaccinated people.
“These are the messages that perhaps people don’t want to hear. We have all grown a little tired of it.”
He advised individuals to stay away from risky activities as much as they can for a period of time while Covid infection rates are still high.
“It is OK for example, to go to a pub or a nightclub, but we need to be mindful that the more we do of that the greater the risk we have,” he stated.
Dr Holohan said all sectors of the economy have a duty to comply with the public health guidelines.
He cited the examples of pubs and restaurants that are not asking for the Covid-19 passes.
“We need you as an individual to understand that if you are not being asked about these things or where handwashing facilities are not present, or it’s evident that mask wearing is not as it should be, you should look at that as a risky environment,” he stated.
“You should leave, feel empowered to leave and certainly not go back to visit. All of that will help to encourage compliance and adherence in the sectors.”
