Covid cases surge in popular Irish holiday destinations

Multiple European countries are experiencing a significant surge in new Covid-19 infections.

With the holiday season about to get into full swing, Europe is witnessing another surge in Covid cases and countries are urging citizens to get their booster vaccinations to protect themselves from BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

Experts are warning that with almost all restrictions lifted and booster take-up often low, cases could soar throughout the summer leading to more deaths. Destinations popular with Irish holidaymakers, many taking their first holiday abroad in two years, are all seeing a spike in cases.

The rolling seven-day average of confirmed new cases per million inhabitants is on the rise in countries including Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Portugal has experienced the most dramatic wave, with infections per million remaining at a seven-day average of 2,043 on Monday – the second highest new case rate in the world, although down somewhat from an early June high of 2,878.

In France, the corresponding figure has soared from 224 on 13 June to 920 in the space of a week. 

“The pandemic is accelerating again, despite the warm weather,” Dr Benjamin Davido, an infectious diseases specialist at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital outside Paris, said.

“The new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are 10% to 15% more infectious and it’s this that is giving the virus an added kick,” Davido told French radio, adding that in the medium term the situation could become “very tough” in the country’s hospitals.

People are being urged to ensure their booster vaccinations are up to date. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

“We are in a very particular situation in which it is vital that we maintain stable immunity through booster shots.” 

Hospitals could fill up over the summer, he said, unless vulnerable people and those over 60 get a fourth dose as soon as possible.

Health expert Dr Damien Mascret told France 2 television that the BA.4 and BA.5 variants had led to significant excess deaths in Portugal, adding that hospital admissions in France were up 27% and intensive care admissions 17% in a week.

“The holiday season is about to start, almost all restrictions have been relaxed, things could take off again very fast indeed,” he said. 

“It’s concerning that only 29% of over-60s have so far got the fourth dose to which they are all entitled.”

Greece has also seen its seven-day average of new infections surge, from 377 per million on 13 June to 681 this week. The health ministry said on Monday cases would climb further, but it did not expect an increase in ICU admissions or deaths.

In Italy new infections have risen from 354 per million to 549 in the space of a week. ISS, the country’s national institute of health, said cases had climbed for the second week in a row, with the transmission rate rising again to epidemic level.

The percentage of infected patients in intensive care units continued to fall, but only one of Italy’s 21 regions is still considered a “low” risk, with 14 classified as “moderate” and the remaining six as “high” owing to the rising number of alerts.

In Ireland, the positivity rate is now 31.5 % with 629 Covid patients in hospital as of Wednesday morning, 24 of whom are in ICU.

On Wednesday, 1,223 positive cases were detected via PCR, while 2,703 positive antigen test results were logged online.

Over three million booster doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered in Ireland, meaning roughly 50% of those eligible for the second booster have availed of it.

A campaign is anticipated to be launched to encourage increased uptake of boosters to protect against further variants.