Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has issued a stark warning to people who remain unvaccinated. 

Most restrictions in Ireland were lifted on Saturday, but the Minister said the virus is still circulating and those who have not yet been vaccinated are risking their health: 

“60% of our critical care patients are unvaccinated,” Minister Donnelly told On The Record with Gavan Reilly.

“I think it is on them, if they choose not to get vaccinated they are knowingly putting themselves at significantly higher risk. But ultimately that is a choice for them.” 

Listen and subscribe to On The Record with Gavan Reilly on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Members of the public queuing to get their vaccine booster shot at the HSE clinic in Richmond Barracks, Dublin as the Omicron Variant surge continues. Photo Sasko Lazarov/Rollingnews.ie

Minister Donnelly hit out at those who spread misinformation about the safety of the vaccines: 

“There are people who are victims of misinformation, very sophisticated campaigns online,” he said. 

“They have been misled and lied to and their own health and the health of those around them is put at risk because of that.” 

The Minister also defended the decision to drop the need to show a COVID pass before entering hospitality venues: 

“These [COVID restrictions] are very, very serious things to do,” he said. 

“And they should only be done when there is a strong public health rationale. So yes, there are secondary benefits. 

“There’s no question there was a secondary benefit to the digital COVID cert of more people and more younger people went off [to get vaccinated]. 

“It gave them that extra nudge to go and get vaccinated which ultimately is one of the things that has protected the country. 

“That was never the primary purpose of the COVID cert.” 

Face masks are known to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

One of the few remaining restrictions still in the place is the requirement to wear a mask on public transport or in shops - something Minister Donnelly said was still needed to “keep people safe”: 

“Retail and public transport - certainly some retail - these are non discretionary activities,” he said. 

“There are people who have to get the bus, have to get the train to work or to move about. Or people obviously have to go in, they have to buy food, have to do these things. They’re non discretionary. 

“There is still a lot of COVID around. Our rates have come down very, very fast but there’s still a lot of it around. 

“And so really we want to keep people safe, particularly in environments where they have no choice and I’m very conscious and [the] Government is very conscious that there are people listening this weekend who are still very nervous.”

Main image: Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly outside Government Buildings. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.