No plans 'to stand down' public health panel
Dr Tony Holohan said a decision on NPHET's future was one for the minister for health.
- Published
Ireland's chief medical officer says there are no plans to stand down the panel of experts advising the government on Covid-19.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) was set up in January 2020.
Dr Tony Holohan told a parliamentary committee he saw an ongoing need for a "multi-professional" advisory panel".
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly would decide when it was time to stand NPHET down, he said.
“We will still need advice,” Dr Holohan said.
“We will still need advice which is multi-disciplinary in nature and which is capable of informing the decisions ultimately the government has to take”.
Dr Holohan also told the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) health committee he believed while the pandemic was not over, it was safe to return to activities such as socialising, exercise, work and travel.
Another 12,560 cases of coronavirus were reported in the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday.