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People should prepare for another six months of Covid-19 restrictions, involving repeated waves of the virus, senior health officials have warned.
Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn warned last night that there will be no “return to normalcy” after the current surge in cases has been handled. And there won’t be a “significant game changer” like a vaccine available to ease things for the next six months.
HSE Executive Director Paul Reid will tell TDs today that “it is becoming increasingly clear that we can expect, and therefore we must plan for the next waves” of the disease.
With hospital admissions “definitely increasing”, Mr. Reid will tell the Oireachtas special committee on Covid-19 that “a difficult winter season, coupled with a resurgence in Covid-19, is the worst possible scenario for our services. of health”.
Even with a vaccine, “the reality is that we will be dealing with Covid-19 for a long time yet” and behavioral and social changes are needed to manage the pandemic, Reid will say in his statement to the committee.
When asked at a National Public Health Emergency Team briefing if Ireland was doomed to repeated cycles involving the lifting of restrictions as the number of cases declined, followed by their reimposition as infections rose again, Dr. Glynn responded, “I don’t think we are doomed.
“We have to be honest, we are not going to have a vaccine, we are not going to have treatment, we are not going to have any significant game changes for the next six months.”
Recognizing that this “was not an easy message for people to hear,” he said that the “vast majority” of society was open today.
“Our schools are back, most workplaces are open, hospitals are open and people are receiving treatment. So a lot is happening. “
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reported an additional 390 confirmed cases of Covid-19 yesterday evening, with no further deaths from the disease confirmed. Of the new cases, 209 are in Dublin, 27 in Cork and 22 in Donegal.
No more deaths from the disease were confirmed, leaving the state total at 1,802. The world death toll yesterday approached one million, according to the most reliable international estimates.
Increasing numbers
Dr. Glynn said the number of cases was beginning to stabilize in Dublin, but was increasing rapidly in Cork, Galway, Monaghan and Roscommon.
When asked why NPHET officials would not accept an invitation to appear before the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee today, Dr. Glynn responded that it was a Department of Health matter. Committee chair Michael McNamara said that NPHET had informed the committee for a second week that he would not be attending.
He said members had wanted to question officials about the “glaring lack of published scientific evidence” for the criteria applied when increasing or lowering the level of restrictions in a county. The department told The Irish Times that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly would provide the committee with an update on the government’s framework plan later this week.
The Cabinet will consider proposals Tuesday that would allow the government to sanction wage increases for groups in the public service. Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath is expected to ask the cabinet to allow him to draft new legislation that bypasses the legal prohibition of wage increases under financial emergency legislation.
This would facilitate a new salary structure for public health doctors and allow the start of talks between the government and medical organizations on a new Sláintecare contract for hospital consultants.
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