[ad_1]
The national public health emergency team reported Friday the deaths of 25 other patients, 14 men and 11 women, diagnosed with Covid-19.
Some 23 of the deaths occurred in the east and two in the west. About 16 of the patients were reported to have underlying health conditions. There have now been 288 Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic. The average age of today’s deaths is 85.
The National Public Health Emergency Team also reported 480 new confirmed cases on Friday. The total number of confirmed cases is now 7,054.
Of the 251 patients admitted to intensive care, 157 remain there, while 62 have been discharged and 31 have died. About 203 of these patients had an underlying condition. The median age of patients in intensive care is 61 years.
There have been 135 Covid-19 groups in nursing homes and affected homes, one in five employees and one in six residents have tested positive, she said.
Chief physician Dr. Tony Holohan said the public health emergency team is concerned about the rate of infection in nursing homes, although there are still many without groups and similar patterns have been observed in other European countries.
An analysis of all cases as of last Wednesday shows that 45 percent were male and 55 percent female. The average age is 48 years.
Of the 7,071 cases reported, 1,631 had been hospitalized, or 23 percent. Of those hospitalized, 244 had been admitted to intensive care.
The cases among health workers are now 1,949.
Dr. Holohan said that the age range of people who have died with Covid-19 varies from 32 years to 105.
Of the 288 deaths, 207 occurred in hospitals, 242 had underlying health conditions, and 175 were men.
In addition to the 7,071 cases diagnosed in Ireland, another 1,035 tested positive in a laboratory in Germany where they were processed, giving a total of 8,089. Dr. Holohan emphasized that these cases were “historical”, spanning several weeks and had no impact on the rate of growth of the disease during this period.
When asked how many people are waiting to be tested, Dr. Holohan replied that anyone who meets the criteria for the test can now be tested quickly, “in a short period of time.”
He said he did not believe anyone was waiting for a test to be performed, although there were delays in processing the tests. Efforts are being made to expand the capacity of the test system so that the results can be provided the next day, he added.
More than 63,000 tests have been processed, he said, including 14-16,000 conducted in Germany.
Earlier on Friday, the government announced that the restrictions that expire on Sunday will run until May 5, another three weeks.
The recommendation to extend the controls was made by the public health emergency team and accepted by the Government.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that because the vast majority of people have complied with the restrictions, the spread of the coronavirus has been halted. However, while the spread was significantly reduced, it did not stop.
Too many people have died and more will have died “before it is all over,” Taoiseach said Friday at a briefing at Government Buildings, Dublin.
He said that people could not afford to be complacent or lose focus and “we must persevere” and maintain our discipline and resolve.
The government was planning a return to normality, he said, but for now we have to “take one day at a time.”
Varadkar said he hoped that, after the three-week period, the reduction in social and commercial activity could be undone, but added that he could not guarantee it. Whether this happens will depend on how people respond to the restrictions and behaviors required.
“They will not be relieved at once. It will have to be done bit by bit,” said Mr Varadkar. Controls may also have to be re-imposed if the virus “rises again.”
Varadkar acknowledged that many people were frustrated and captive under regulations and that good weather makes things more difficult.
Ireland would be watching other countries such as Denmark, Austria and the Czech Republic relax to ease their restrictions in the coming weeks, he said.
“This is not an experiment that we are willing to do” right now, he said.
However, each personal sacrifice was helping to save lives and ensure that the health service is not overwhelmed, he added.
These sacrifices have made a difference, he said, thanking the public for their “tolerance.”
What could be a drawback for some could be a “lifesaver” for others.
Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed that the additional powers granted to Gardaí to enforce the restrictions will extend for three weeks before Sunday, when they expire.
But the Taoiseach added that it is not the intention of the Government to “make Ireland a police state” at any time. With the vast majority of people cooperating with controls, he added: “The Garda Síochána has vast powers, but let’s not use them. Let’s do the right thing.”
Harris said the public’s actions had made a “real and significant” difference. The number of confirmed case contacts decreased from 20 to two, the daily growth rate of the infection decreased from 33% to less than 10%, and the number of infected people per case decreased from more than four to approximately one .
“You are flattening the curve. You are protecting frontline health workers. You’re saving so many lives. “
“Difficult days for a little more time are worth it to have better days ahead,” he concluded.
Medical director Dr. Tony Holohan said the goal would be to have a testing regimen by the end of the three-week period that provides results the same day or the next day so that the virus can be properly tracked.
Education Minister Joe McHugh said the schools would remain closed “until further notice.” Junior Certificate exams are canceled, but Exit Certificate exams will be rescheduled until the end of July or August, depending on public health councils and conversations with teacher unions.
Rescue package
Also on Friday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the government may need limited access to the new European Union Covid-19 rescue package to help finance the wage subsidy scheme and support struggling companies.
Donohoe said he is confident that the country can create “a new economy” and services to recover, but warned that “we have a journey ahead.”
New social assistance supports will be monitored and may need to be strengthened to aid recovery as 200,000 workers access the wage subsidy scheme. “If they need to be changed, we will.”
Donohoe said the agreement reached with the EU finance ministers on Thursday night has three different elements.
The first is to make loans available to countries with the greatest difficulties to help their health care capacity respond to Covid-19; second, there is a business plan: use the European Investment Bank to make money available to companies at low interest rates to respond to Covid-19; and a third plan for workers to help companies pay the wage subsidy schemes.
How about the courts?
Also on Friday, Liz Canavan of the Taoiseach Department said the Court Services is testing technology that will allow full court hearings to be conducted remotely once the new legal term begins after Easter.
In the daily briefing at the government press center, it was revealed that remote audiences have so far been used using video links for the most urgent cases.
Some 570 employers have not disclosed their bank details to Revenue, the briefing also heard that employees missed 2.19 million euros in additional payments.
Ms. Canavan said this has been an issue with a minority of employers from the start who have not yet registered with the Online Revenue Service.
Ms. Canavan reiterated the government’s message to ask people to stay home this Easter and not to take “unnecessary trips” to vacation homes.
[ad_2]