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Today 13 additional Covid-19 related deaths and 970 additional cases have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland with the country set to enter new Level 5 restrictions.
There have been a total of 2,171 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight on Monday, December 21, the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) has been notified of 970 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There are now a total of 81,228 confirmed coronavirus cases in Ireland.
Of the cases reported today:
- 470 are men / 494 are women.
- 64% are under 45 years old.
- The average age is 37 years.
- 348 are in Dublin, 60 in Limerick, 59 in Cork, 59 in Wexford, 55 in Louth and the remaining 389 cases are spread over 20 other counties.
As of 2:00 p.m. today, 238 Covid-19 patients are being treated in the hospital, of which 28 are in the ICU. 23 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Irish hospitals in the last 24 hours.
Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan said: “The current trajectory of the disease in the community is of great concern. In the past seven days to midnight on Monday, we have reported 4,478 cases, an increase of more than 110 percent from the previous week. In the past five days, we have seen an extraordinary growth in the incidence of the virus across the country, significantly increasing the level of risk associated with the kind of intergenerational mixing normally experienced during the Christmas holidays.
“To protect ourselves, our families and our vulnerable loved ones in particular, more economic and social restrictions will begin to be introduced from Christmas Eve. It is up to each of us to rethink our plans for this Christmas period, especially when it comes to visiting family and friends who are older or more vulnerable from a medical point of view.
National vaccine program
He added: “With the authorization of the first Covid-19 vaccine by the European Commission yesterday, our national vaccine program may start in the very near future and this gives us reason for hope.
“However, the widespread vaccination of the population will take time, so we must continue to comply with public health advice on hand washing, maintain a distance of 2 m, wear face covers when appropriate, cover our coughs. and reduce our social contacts for the duration of the Level 5 restrictions. Working together we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard our schools and hospitals. “
From 3:00 p.m., restaurants and pubs that serve food will have to close, while hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, cinemas and galleries will also close on the 24th.
Nonessential retail may remain open, but you are being asked to postpone the January sales.
Gyms and leisure centers may also remain open for individual training only. Non-contact training in groups of up to 15 may take place outdoors, but matches or events should not be held, except for professional / elite sports and closed-door horse / greyhound racing.
Beginning at midnight on the 26th, inter-county travel will be restricted, but with exemptions for people returning home after the Christmas holidays.
Hotels can only open for essential, non-social and non-tourist purposes after Christmas Eve.
Home visities
Schools, early learning, and child care services remain open, while higher, higher, and college education must remain online.
As of December 27, people will only be able to receive visitors from another household in their home, until December 31.
Starting January 1, home visits will not be allowed unless for essential reasons of care or as part of a support bubble agreement.
The mass on Christmas Day will be the last of the year as the service will move online from the 26th. Weddings will be allowed to have 25 attendees until midnight on January 1, then it will be reduced to just six people from the 2nd. .
The travel ban from the UK has also been extended until the end of the year.
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