‘Who is Running the Country?’ Ciara Kelly wants to know who is Deciding Public Health Policy November 16, 2021 Unipro2013main Irish News </p> <h2>Hard to Suck up Added Restrictions</h2> <p> Ciara Kelly would find it ‘very hard to suck up added restrictions if the booster campaign and the antigen testing is not rolled out.’<br /> <br /> It comes as a Government minister says remote working is ‘one of the positive lessons from COVID-19’.<br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> They are also encouraging people to reduce their social contacts, and stick to the public health advice on ventilation and face masks.<br /> <br /> It comes as 3,680 new cases of the virus were reported in Ireland – while 543 patients are in hospital.<br /> <br /> There are 97 people in intensive care, which is 23 higher than five days ago.<br /> <br /> Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys told The Hard Shoulder she believes remote working is the way to go.<br /> <br /> “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.<br /> <br /> “Myself – as Minister for Rural and Community Development – of course I’m a huge advocate for remote working.<br /> <br /> “In fact, I believe it’s one of the positive lessons from COVID-19 that we should embrace.<br /> <br /> “For some it works well, when you have the employer and the employee on-board.<br /> <br /> “We have a lot of investment, and a lot of support across the country, in developing a national network of over 400 hubs.<br /> <br /> “I do believe remote working should be a permanent fixture of our lives in some shape or form post-COVID”.<br /> <br /> But she says she knows this will not suit everyone.<br /> <br /> “I know not every worker in the country can work from their home, or from a remote working hub.<br /> <br /> “So maybe there’s a blended arrangement that can come, that we can use. We’re very familiar with all of this from before”.<br /> <br /> Minister Humphreys says the Government will consider the advice before acting.<br /> <br /> “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.<br /> <br /> “I think it’s important that Government considers this and that’s the job of Government.<br /> <br /> “We take all the advice onboard and then we reach a decision.<br /> <br /> “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.<br /> <br /> “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”.<br /> <br /> Credit to : Newstalk</p> <p> Please support our Sponsors here :
