'No guarantees' we won't return to lockdown, warns Taoiseach
There has been a total of 5,609 deaths associated with Covid-19, an increase of 43 during the past week. Picture: Denis Minihane
The coming weeks will be uncertain in terms of a return to lockdown, and no guarantees can be given, the Taoiseach has warned a meeting of his own TDs.
Speaking as the Christmas season has effectively been furloughed, with parents told to cancel children’s birthday parties and companies urged to cancel office parties, Mr Martin gave a stark update to a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
He said the modelling on Covid case numbers is very worrying, with a peak expected in the coming weeks, making it clear that socialisation has to be reduced.
In a bid to contain the surge, up to 270,000 booster vaccines are to be administered every week as the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) has been asked to look at reducing the five-month gap between initial vaccination and booster shots.
Mr Martin said that he has asked Niac to review the five-month timeframe, especially for those who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccines.
To date, 449,246 booster vaccines have been given, including 59,540 doses to immunocompromised people, the Department of Health said yesterday.
Nphet’s chief modelling expert Prof Philip Nolan warned if we do not act to reduce transmission, the country will have at least 200,000 Covid cases in December, and at least 4,000 virus-related hospital admissions.
In light of the need to reduce socialisation, education minister Norma Foley said parents should not organise birthday parties or playdates for children.
She said there is now a "window of opportunity" to change our behaviour, and urged parents not to organise such events.
Ms Foley called on "wider society" to "shoulder the responsibility" to ensure that schools remain open over the winter period.
Asked specifically whether parents should be hosting birthday parties and playdates, Ms Foley said: "The CMO has said very clearly that we need to minimise our social interactions.
"We have seen the return to playdates and birthday parties and things like that. I think there's a call now that we would minimise [this] and revert to what we have done in the past."
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that cancelling Christmas parties would be a “responsible decision”.
"People are making decisions to reduce their risk," he said. "These are decisions that nobody wants to be making."
Dr Holohan said that the most effective thing that people could do was to stay at home. In as much as possible, people should work from home, and he urged employers to facilitate staff.
"We need to ensure that those who can work from home do work from home,” he said.
A further 3,633 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported yesterday, with 634 patients in hospital and 119 in intensive care.
There has been a total of 5,609 deaths associated with Covid-19, an increase of 43 during the past week.
Introducing further restrictions is the "last thing" the Government wants to do, but it cannot be ruled out, foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has said.
Mr Coveney said that the measures announced on Tuesday were aimed at preventing the need for more restrictions. However, he said that such a scenario could not be ruled out.
As Covid cases continue to surge, more than 2,600 people are going for Covid-19 tests in Cork and Kerry every day — however no online slots were available to book in Cork last night, and just 15 were available in Kerry.
A HSE Cork/Kerry spokeswoman said there is “a very high level of demand”.
Symptomatic people are advised to contact their GP as appointments are kept separately for them, and for close contacts. The system aims to provide online booking appointments within 24-36 hours, she said.
As pressure grows on the testing system, the HSE has now sent 51,660 antigen kits with five tests in each to asymptomatic vaccinated close contacts to use instead of PCR tests.
Meanwhile, in an update, it has been confirmed that the 12am finish will apply to weddings, even if guests are residents.
The Department of Tourism said: "The clear policy intention is that ALL bars will close at midnight and that any and all activities associated with the bar would also cease."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
