Virus circulating at 'at too high a level' as 74 Covid-related deaths reported over past week

Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Chief Medical Officer has warned Covid-19 is circulating at too high a level as 2,975 further cases of the virus have been confirmed.

In the past week, 74 deaths related to the virus have been newly notified.

There are 551 Covid patients in hospital today - the highest figure since the end of February.

Since yesterday, 73 people with the virus have been admitted with 38 discharges.

There are now 83 Covid patients in ICU - with more than half of them not fully vaccinated.

Dr Tony Holohan said that action is required now in order to give the virus less opportunity to spread.

Dr Holohan said the public has not responded to Nphet's call for a drop in social contacts.

"We are not seeing encouraging signs of reduction in socialisation. We are still seeing high levels of socialisation right across the population.

"We are socialising at a level - in broad terms - that we simply cannot sustain in term of the case numbers."

The public were asked to think and plan ahead, especially over the next two weeks.

"A pandemic can be a long and exhausting experience and I am aware that we are all tired of this virus – but the reality is that the virus is here and is circulating at too high a level.

"The virus moves when we are in close contact with a Covid positive person. 

This person could be a family member, a friend, a colleague or a stranger. It could be someone with no symptoms who is fully vaccinated."

The CMO advised people to reduce the number of social contacts they intended to meet this week by half.

He said that if every person did so, the current levels of infection could be suppressed.

Additionally he said gyms, hairdressers and other places where people gather could consider using the Digital Covid Passes if they wish.

“There is nothing to stop organisations (doing this) as part of a responsible set of measures, that they would seek to protect the staff and members,” he said.

“Of course we would be in favour of it. The more we can see assurance around measures in place in different settings the better.”

The Deputy CMO similarly warned that the incidence rate in the community is concerning and urged people to take extra precautions when with people outside your own household.

Dr Ronan Glynn said there is a deterioration in incidences across all counties with Cork, Kerry, Leitrim, Waterford, Carlow, Louth, Laois, Longford, Westmeath and Donegal all reporting  a 14-day-incidence of more than 1,000 per 100,000 cases.

Ireland currently has the eighth highest 14-day rate in the European Union with a 57% increase over the past fortnight.

He said the situation is worsening in all counties and they are seeing significant increases in incidence across all age groups from age 13 and older, particularly among those aged between 19 and 24 years.

Incidence among this age group has increased almost three-fold over the past two weeks.

Dr Glynn said the Covid-19 vaccines are providing excellent protection but this protection could be further bolstered with the use of masks, social distancing, meeting up outdoors where possible.

Both Dr Glynn and Professor Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee once again urged any persons who have not received any dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to make arrangements to get it.

Professor Butler said they are continuing to see people who had not previously availed of the jab coming forward.

People who are pregnant and concerned about the Covid-19 vaccine are advised to speak to a trusted medical professional. Picture: Pexels

A special message was given to those who are pregnant as Prof Butler assured that the benefits of the vaccine for both the pregnant person and the baby far outweigh the risks.

"If you have concerns, then speak to your trusted clinician - be that your GP, obstetric team or midwife," said Prof Butler.

"They are the people most familiar with your medical background and are in the best position to offer advice particular to your own situation."

However, the briefing also heard the booster campaign is already having a positive impact for older people. 

“We can see concrete effects of the booster programme,” Dr Glynn said.

Data he presented showed a “marked change in incidence “ since mid-October as the booter campaign rolled-out.

Prof Butler said boosters are currently being offered based on serious risks linked to age or being immunocompromised.

As the weather gets colder and the evenings darker, there was an emphasis on the importance of ventilation as people choose to socialise indoors more frequently.

Dr Cillian De Gascun, Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said that knowledge of how Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses spread will help people to limit the risk of transmission.

He said that ventilation is key to this advising people to ensure that windows are open and air is circulating around the room.

Doing this as well as utilising the other basic public health behaviours will protect you and those around you, he said.

A technical issue impacted processing on CIDR on Tuesday, November 9 resulting in an artificially low number of notifications. The Department of Health has said that once the technical issue is resolved cases will be processed and reflected in notifications in the coming days.