PEOPLE COULD be forced to prove they have had a Covid-19 vaccine in order to be allowed to visit their local pub, according to Micheál Martin.
The Taoiseach believes Covid-19 vaccine passports could be introduced in order to reopen the hospitality sector and also allow for international travel.
While Martin acknowledged the details still have to be ironed out, it will be important for members of the general public to possess certification of some kind to prove they have had the jab.
Asked whether passports of this kind could be introduced, Martin said “To be honest, I think that’s all to be worked out.
“It could, but I think people having validation or certification that you have had a vaccine will be important just as for now we’re referring people to have negative PCR tests before they arrive into the country.
“So yes, one could see that happening. But what I would say is by July, I think we would have a substantial number of members of our population, citizens, vaccinated.
“And I think the world will be a different place but it is very, very challenging and it is very worrying about mutations, what they may do to the flow of the vaccine and so on so we have to be careful in projecting far out.”
Taoiseach Micheál MartinSpeaking to Virgin Media News, Martin predicted that life would return to some form of normality by the summer at the latest – though he stressed there would still be some need for caution.
“The latter half of 2021 life will get better..and I think we’ll have significant numbers of people vaccinated by mid-summer all going well,” he said.
“We have to be very vigilant even with the vaccine.”
The Taoiseach also warned that it would be “a while yet” before pubs opened their doors to the public again.
