365 new Covid cases as vaccine rollout expected to hit 2.5m doses
Tommy McGrath, 61, from Ballyfermot, after receiving his AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination at the mass vaccination centre in the Helix, DCU, Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless
The Health Minister has said that the Covid vaccination programme is expected to reach milestone 2.5 million doses.
Stephen Donnelly has said the HSE and the vaccination programme have been continuing to work at great pace despite the issues caused by the recent cyberattack on the health system.
It is expected that a total of 2.5 million doses will have been administered in Ireland by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, Nphet has reported a further 365 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
There are 103 Covid patients in hospital, of which 41 are in ICU.
Both hospitalisation and ICU figures are down from yesterday with 24 fewer Covid patients in hospital and three fewer in ICU.
Full data on Covid-19 case numbers and deaths are not currently available due to fallout from the recent HSE cyberattack.
Opposition is growing in the Dáil to the Government's plans to extend emergency Covid powers until November 9.
The regulations give effect to many restrictions including mask wearing, bans on mass gatherings and requiring people to stay in their homes.
Yesterday, the Seanad approved the five-month extension to the Government's emergency powers with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly saying they are still needed for a time.
"That is the public health view, my hope is that we don't have to exercise any of them but if we do that they are lighter touch measures like having to wear masks, in particular," said Mr Donnelly.
The extension would not mean all restrictions would last until November but would give the Government the power to bring them back if there is another Covid surge.
The opposition thinks the timeframe is too long with Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats pushing for a July expiry date.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall suggested a six-week extension to enable a review to take place.
"We had been promised a review. There is really no information, there is no analysis whatsoever of the operation of those powers," said Ms Shortall.
Labour has suggested a September expiry while People Before Profit's Gino Kenny thinks they should expire immediately.
"The police had powers already prior to the pandemic to stop assembly," said Mr Kenny.
One of the big issues is the lack of a clear sunset clause for the ending of the emergency powers and an ability in this bill for the Government to keep extending it in three-month intervals after November.
Indoor dining is likely to come with a 105-minute time limit when it returns.
Fáilte Ireland will today announce the latest guidance on the rules around indoor dining, which is expected to return in July.
The rules for indoors will differ from those which will govern the return of outdoor dining on June 7.
The main difference will be the time limit, which will not exist for outdoor dining. Indoor dining will have a limit of six people per table and the Fáilte Ireland guidance is expected to put a clear emphasis on ventilation indoors.
Tourism Minister Catherine Martin yesterday confirmed that outdoor dining will have no time limit and will see the two-metre gap between tables halved.
There have been no further deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.
However another 75 positive cases were confirmed by the region’s Department of Health.
On Tuesday morning there were 29 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom two were in intensive care.
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