AS TALKS GET underway today between Government and the hospitality industry over indoor dining a number of scenarios have been put forward that would allow for its safe return. 

Indoor hospitality is now being delayed until at least 19 July when the government will propose a plan for how the reopening will take place. 

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that only vaccinated people should be allowed to dine indoors or enjoy any indoor activity for that matter.

However, yesterday Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said antigen testing may form a part of the solution to reopening indoor hospitality. 

“There are six EU countries that allow indoor dining to take place on the basis of vaccine, or they have recovered from Covid, or they have tested negative in an antigen test,” Coveney told RTÉ Radio One’s This Week.

“We are looking at those countries and how they operate that and the success of it,” he said.

NPHET has consistently raised concerns about the limitations of rapid antigen tests which are less accurate than PCR tests but there is a sense within Government that some element of testing could form part of the system to allow indoor dining to take place. 

So today we’re asking: Should antigen testing be used to facilitate indoor dining?