Full mortuaries and a shortage of coffins: The battle against Covid continues 

Medical workers help residents get tested for the coronavirus at a temporary testing center in Hong Kong, Monday, March 14, 2022. China’s mainland is seeing a widespread surge of new infections across its main cities. The numbers are small relative to Hong Kong, which had reported 32,000 cases last Sunday. Picture: AP Photo/Kin Cheung

In Ireland and across Europe, as the last of Covid restrictions such as mask-wearing are easing, case numbers are rising sharply, with a subsequent rise in hospital admissions.

Health experts are pointing to the one crucial difference between this wave of infections and previous waves - lower death rates in countries with good vaccine uptake. Vaccines are not slowing transmission but they are successfully preventing severe illness and death for most people.