Cabinet to agree extra measures as Omicron takes hold 

Christmas restrictions are to be considered as the Covid variant now accounts 27% of all new cases

An urgent Cabinet meeting is considering a raft of extra measures to try to stave off the rapidly-spreading Covid-19 Omicron variant. File picture: Brian Lawless

The Cabinet is expected to agree today on a raft of extra measures to try to stave off the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

The variant now accounts for 27% of all new Covid-19 infections, up from just 1% of new cases last week. It is likely to become the dominant variant within a matter of days.

An emergency meeting of ministers will discuss the tightening of restrictions before Christmas. That is likely to include a focus on major live and sports events and large gatherings as well as asking all close contacts to restrict their movements regardless of their vaccination status. This could impact on festive race meetings and upcoming rugby matches.

Currently, people do not have to restrict their movements if they are a non-household close contact and are fully vaccinated.

Families will be asked to reduce social contacts 

People will again be asked to reduce their social contacts and to avoid large family gatherings over the Christmas period.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) last night met to review the situation and draw up further recommendations for the Government.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said that, given the threat posed by the Omicron variant, there is a need to “go further” than the Government had previously thought necessary in order to contain the spread of the virus.

In the Dáil, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly described the situation as “urgent” with the variant “spreading rapidly”.

Detailing the pace of the Omicron variant, he said yesterday: “Last week, the Omicron variant made up about 1% of all new cases in Ireland. By the weekend it was up to 5%. On Tuesday, the rate reported was 14%. Today, just two days later, I can confirm to the House that the Omicron variant now comprises over 27% of all new cases.”

Booster campaign being stepped up

HSE chief executive Paul Reid has warned that Ireland could see around 2,000 people in hospital in the coming weeks, similar to what was seen last January, as Omicron becomes dominant.

HSE CEO Paul Reid warned that Ireland could see 2,000 people hospitalised in the coming weeks, and detailed the acceleration of the booster vaccine campaign. Picture: Leah Farrell/Photocall Ireland

However, he said that over 50,000 booster doses were administered on Wednesday, the largest daily number so far, and the campaign will be ramped up further in the days and weeks ahead.

Mr Reid said 1.35m booster jabs had been administered to date, and the revised booster plan should mitigate “to the greatest extent” the projected effect of the Omicron variant.

From a capacity point of view, we’re putting in place our extended hours of the centres. All centres all across the country will now move to 12-hour days, 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

These will have a combination of appointments and walk-in clinics, Mr Reid said.

While the vaccination of very high-risk children will begin at paediatric centres and hospitals next week, it will be the new year before the wider population of five to 11-year-olds will get a first dose. About 510,000 people aged 40 to 49 years will be offered boosters starting on December 27.

Last night, a further 4,141 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed. However, the number of people currently in hospital with the virus is down 18% from last week and stood at 443 yesterday.