Irish minister says people ‘will have to live alongside the virus’ at some point

Ireland’s health minister expects to be advised on Friday to keep restrictions intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus in place for a period of weeks, but he suggests the country will have to move onto a “different terrain” after that.

“What’s highly likely tomorrow is that the National Public Health Emergency Team will recommend that we continue with the very strict restrictions,” Simon Harris told broadcaster Virgin Media. “I expect that to be a period of weeks,” said Harris, who ordered citizens on March 27 to stay home until at least Sunday, according to Reuters.

“In relation to the roadmap, there is going to be a point in this country where we will have to live alongside the virus, for want of a better phrase, where sadly people will still get sick and sadly some people will still die, but it is at a rate that is sustainable for our doctors to manage,” according to Harris.