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The state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Tony Holohan, has said that the numbers for all key indicators of the severity of Covid-19 disease “continue to give us solid reason for constant and constant concern.”
He spoke as the Health Department reported 527 new Covid-19 cases and five more coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday.
The new cases bring the number of Covid-19-related deaths in the country to 2,154 and the number of cases to 78,776.
The five-day moving average is now 469. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) team has previously said that once cases exceed 400 per day, a three-week intervention would be needed to suppress the spread. of the virus.
Dr. Holohan said, “As we approach a week with a single risk intrafamily and intergenerational mix, remember to act responsibly. Start this weekend. It’s never too late to cut your contacts, cancel plans, or avoid a crowd. “
Dr Holohan added: “Keep in mind that it may well be the link in a chain of transmission that ends with a vulnerable loved one contracting this dangerous disease. Stop that chain of transmission now. “
Of the new cases reported on Saturday, 271 are men and 255 are women and 65% of them are under 45 years of age. The largest number of new cases is in Dublin with 191, followed by 54 cases in Cork and 44 in Donegal. The remaining cases are spread across 22 other counties.
England lockdown
In England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday night issued a new “stay at home” order covering London and much of the south and east of England in response to a new, rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus.
New level four restrictions will be introduced in areas such as London, Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire starting at midnight.
A stay-at-home order will be issued for residents of these areas and all nonessential stores will need to close.
For the rest of the country, the three-household mix limit has been lowered from five days on Christmas to just Christmas Day.
The restrictions were announced by the prime minister in a hastily convened press conference on Saturday, along with medical director Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, following a cabinet meeting this afternoon.
They will initially be in place for fifteen days.
Johnson announced the harsh new restrictions after being presented with evidence Friday night that the new strain of coronavirus identified in London and the South East is spreading faster than the previous strain.
Johnson said the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threat Advisory Group (Nervtag) estimated that the new variant may be up to 70 percent more transmittable.
Scientists do not yet have evidence that the new variant has a higher death rate or that it affects the effectiveness of vaccines or treatments for Covid.
Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Research Laboratory, said the new strain had not been detected in the Republic.
He said work was underway to try to identify the virus should it show up here, adding that new restrictions announced in England should mean that it was hopefully not imported.
Trip
On Saturday night, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said there were no changes to the travel advisory for passengers who intend to travel to the Republic from England.
In Northern Ireland, another 17 people with Covid-19 have died and another 640 new cases of the virus have also been reported. Initial reports suggest that there is no immediate plan to change the Covid-19 Christmas restrictions in Northern Ireland.
However, new restrictions will also apply in Wales and Scotland. In Wales, lockdown restrictions will take effect from midnight.
Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said the rules would mean nonessential retail, close contact services, gyms and entertainment and hospitality centers must close at the “end of trade” on Saturday.
Scotland will once again be locked in from Boxing Day and a planned easing of restrictions over Christmas has been ruled out, Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
The travel ban between Scotland and other parts of the UK, except for essential purposes, will be upheld, and Ms Sturgeon said she will speak to police and transport operators to see how it can be “strengthened”.
In the Republic, when the Cabinet meets on Tuesday, it will consider advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on new restrictions on hospitality and home visits in response to the growing number of cases.
His letter to the government recommended “Level 3 plus” restrictions effective December 28, during which inter-county travel would stop and restaurants and gourmet bars would once again offer takeout-only services.
However, it is understood that the government will likely choose to delay hospitality and home visiting restrictions until December 30 and that inter-county travel will be allowed until January 6.
Frustration
There is frustration in the hotel industry at having to wait until Tuesday for a government decision.
The Irish Restaurant Association has called an urgent meeting with Taoiseach and Tánaiste to discuss their plans for the hospitality sector.
Earlier, Dr Tomás Ryan, Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin’s Faculty of Biochemistry and Immunology, called for an “aggressive suppression” policy to reduce the number of cases in the country to 10 per day, and then the virus. low through effective testing and tracking services.
A man walks past a locked bar in Dublin city center. The government will consider new advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on Tuesday on new restrictions on hospitality and home visiting. Photography: PA
He suggested that a “relatively strong” lockdown of five or six weeks, starting on St. Stephen’s Day, could bring Ireland to this level of cases by the end of January.
He said this proposed six-week lockdown would be more effective than previous lockdowns of similar length, as it would begin on St. Stephen’s Day and run during the “quietest time of year.”
The alternative was nine to 12 months of repeated lockdowns, he said, adding that “the government’s strategy of living with the virus has failed.”
“We will not return to normal based solely on vaccinations until fall / winter 2021,” he said.
Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond said Nphet had given “very clear advice” but that the government must consider “all factors,” including the impact of the restrictions on the economy, society and public health in general.
Independent Senator Michael McDowell criticized Nphet for failing to provide statements showing how particular measures, such as banning inter-county travel, created positive net effects.
Sinn Féin’s Eoin O’Broin TD agreed with an Ireland-wide strategy, but disagreed with the 10 cases per day approach suggested by Dr Ryan.
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