Further restriction easing unlikely while Covid cases continue to rise
There are 239 patients in hospitals across the country with Covid-19, 23 fewer than on Sunday evening.
A member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) says further restrictions will not ease at the beginning of September if Covid-19 case numbers continue to rise.
The Government is due to announce a plan for the easing, or removal, of the remaining restrictions by the end of August.
However, Dr Mary Favier, Covid-19 adviser to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), says further reopening may have to be delayed.
"If we continue to see a rise in Covid numbers over the next two or three weeks, I think we won't be in a position to ease restrictions any further, and that will have to wait another two or three weeks," Dr Favier said.
"It's going to come down to our personal behaviours and what we do now."
Dr Favier added that the reopening of the education sector in early September is going to be one of the biggest challenges as Covid numbers remain high.
She said restriction easing may have to wait until schools, universities and third-level institutions reopen.
Head of the HSE, Paul Reid, confirmed this morning that more than 6.4m vaccines have been administered in Ireland, with 82% of adults now fully vaccinated and 90% having received at least one dose.
"The vaccines are working & give us a pathway to a brighter future," he tweeted.
Now over 6.4M vaccines administered here with 82% of adults fully vaccinated & 90% partially. Continued great progress too on the 12-15 year olds, with almost 100,000 registered & 47,000 administered. The vaccines are working & give us a pathway to a brighter future. @HSELive
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) August 17, 2021
On Monday evening, a further 1,558 new cases of the coronavirus were reported by Nphet.
There are 239 patients in hospitals across the country with Covid-19, 23 fewer than on Sunday.
The number usually falls on a Monday evening, due to discharges after the weekend.
Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has the most Covid patients in the country, at 23.
In ICU units, 51 Covid patients were receiving critical care on Monday night, the highest number since the middle of April, 2021.
The five-day moving average has increased by 27% in the past two weeks and now stands at 1,854.
Pharmacies are experiencing a "much slower" take-up of Covid vaccines among 12 to 15-year-olds than for those aged 18 to 34.
They have been administering the jab to the younger age group since last week, along with GPs and vaccination centres.
More than 47,000 12 to 15-year-olds have been vaccinated so far across all locations, while more than 100,000 have registered.
Darragh O'Loughlin, from the Irish Pharmacy Union, says the demand is nothing like as brisk as for the older age group.
"What we're seeing among the 12 to 15-year-olds is a much slower uptake," he said.
"It's steady, but it's slow with a lot more questions from parents, in particular, seeking to get as much information as they can before they make their decision, ... to have their kids vaccinated."
