WHO says Ireland lifted Covid restrictions 'brutally'

Recent research had indicated that voluntary compliance on mask-wearing was two-thirds of the population. Picture: Leah Farrell RollingNews.ie

The World Health Organization's Regional Director for Europe says he is "optimistic but vigilant" in relation to the likely future spread of Covid.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said Ireland is among a number of countries that lifted Covid restrictions "brutally".

Combined with the transmissibility of the BA.2 Omicron variant, the easing of restrictions contributed to the rise in case numbers, according to WHO.

The organisation's Regional Director Hans Kluge says 18 out of 53 countries in Europe have seen increasing case numbers in the past week.

"So the countries where we see, in particular, an increase are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy and Germany," said Mr Kluge.

"And the fact that those countries are lifting their restrictions brutally, from too much to too few."

On a more positive note, Mr Kluge said some countries have already started to see case numbers fall after a second Omicron wave.

"The prognosis is very difficult to tell because this virus has surprised us many times already. For the time being, I am optimistic but vigilant."

Today, the Department of Health has reported an additional 23,702 cases of Covid-19.

Of these, 7,729 cases were PCR-confirmed and 15,973 people registered positive antigen tests through the HSE portal.

As of 8am, there are 1,338 Covid patients in hospitals around the country, an increase of 30 since yesterday.

Of those Covid patients in hospital, 61 are in intensive care — up 12 in 24 hours.

Tens of thousands of cases were reported in Ireland over the bank holiday weekend, while the number of people in hospital with the virus is climbing steadily.

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Despite this, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said these figures had been anticipated and no consideration is being given to a return to restrictions.

Mr Varadkar said that some hospitals were under pressure and being forced to curtail elective procedures.

But he stressed: “We don’t have any plans to re-impose restrictions.” 

Earlier, the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (INMO) repeated calls for the reintroduction of mandatory mask-wearing in indoor settings.

The call came as hospitals recorded the highest number of patients on trolleys since the beginning of the pandemic.

Phil Ní Sheaghdha, the general secretary of the INMO, said hospitals were always under pressure after a bank holiday weekend and when combined with the high levels of Covid-19 in the community this was a “very unsafe situation”.

Recent research had indicated that voluntary compliance on mask-wearing was two-thirds of the population.