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Health Service CEO Paul Reid has said that next winter “will be more difficult than ever” as he manages Covid-19 and expands services that had been stalled due to the virus.
Reid said he has “confidence and hope” in the coming months, but also “apprehension” and urged people not to “lower their guard” in their adherence to public health measures, as they are still 80% of the defense against spread. of Covid-19.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, he said: “There is apprehension because we are normally operating at 95% bed capacity and over 100% in winter. So we will have to do things very differently.”
Mr. Reid explained that the “worst day for Covid-19” was in late April, when there were 936 cases, 879 people in the hospital and 160 in the ICU.
He said the current seven-day average of 115 cases “shows that we are in a much better place, much stronger, and we cannot let our guard down.”
Reid said the free flu vaccine will be available to nearly two million people starting in mid-September, when seniors and vulnerable groups will be prioritized for vaccination.
He said he hopes the nasal spray vaccine for children, ages 2 to 12, will be available for free starting in October.
Community assessment centers will be used over the next several months, Reid said, to try to “filter” the number of people who visit their GP, in order to ease pressure on practices during the vaccination season. .
“We plan to use those centers to screen people for respiratory diseases and filter what is Covid and what is not,” he said.
Reid said he expected to see greater acceptance of the flu vaccine among healthcare workers, as the national average is 60%.
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While it does not provide for mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers, it said risk-based assessments will be carried out to determine the settings in which it is required.
Reid said vaccination centers “are not on the agenda,” but reiterated that part of the HSE winter plan that has been presented to the government will see community screening centers ease pressure on GP surgeries. when identifying other respiratory diseases.
The relatively low number of people currently in need of hospital treatment for Covid-19 can be explained by 75% of cases in people under 45 years of age.
But he cautioned that this cohort can easily transmit the virus to an older or more vulnerable person.
“Young people can get very sick from this virus. It is not distinguished and everyone is vulnerable. The risk of transmission from younger people to older people remains the same risk as at the beginning,” Reid said.
He said he believes the vast majority of people are “very aware of the elderly and vulnerable” and are adhering to public health measures, which, he said, has made “our protection more resilient.”
Small 14 Day Incidence Increase in Ireland – ECDC
The latest figures show that the cumulative 14-day number of Covid-19 cases in Ireland per 100,000 people has risen slightly to 31.1, according to the European Center for Disease Control.
Yesterday it was in 30.6 cases. The rate in the UK is 25.3, Italy is 25.8 and Germany is 21.6.
The highest rate is in Spain, which has 227.5 cases per 100,000 people.
Meanwhile, there has been a small increase in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Irish hospitals reported overnight.
Figures from the Health Service Executive show that there are 40 confirmed cases in hospitals, five more than yesterday.
Of the 40 patients, six are in intensive care units.
The number of suspected cases has dropped significantly from 188 to 95, with 15 of these patients in intensive care.
Last night 217 new cases of the virus were reported, the highest daily figure since May.
In Northern Ireland, another 71 people tested positive for Covid-19, the Department of Health said today.
463 new cases of the virus have been detected in the last seven days, bringing the total to 7,365.
Two more deaths have been reported, bringing the total to 562.
Greater number in emergencies since March – INMO
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization has said there are 221 patients in emergency departments, or wards today, waiting to be admitted to bed.
At Cork University Hospital, 50 patients are reported to be in the emergency department.
The INMO said this is the highest number since the Covid-19 restrictions began in March and described the overcrowding and the virus as a “toxic combination.”
The HSE puts the lowest national overcrowding figure at 172 patients.
Additional reports Fergal Bowers
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