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Today 1,620 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Ireland and another 12 people have sadly died after contracting the virus.
There have been a total of 2,237 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.
There are now a total of 91,779 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases reported today:
- 794 are men / 819 are women
- 65% are under 45
- The average age is 34 years.
- 498 in Dublin, 203 in Limerick, 89 in Galway, 73 in Cork, 67 in May and the remaining 690 cases are distributed in all other counties.
As of 2:00 p.m. today, 490 patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized, of which 42 are in the ICU. 58 additional hospitalizations in the last 24 hours.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Medical Director of the Department of Health, said: “We are once again in the mitigation stage of this pandemic. The alarmingly escalating incidence of the virus in the general population is of great concern.
“This disease is now widespread in our communities and as a result we ask everyone to behave as if they are close contact.
“To support the testing system through this increase, we are no longer advising close contacts of confirmed cases to get tested. Test and trace is a containment exercise and we are no longer in a containment phase.
“However, it is imperative that if you are a close contact for a confirmed case, you restrict your movements and contact your GP immediately if you develop symptoms.
“The average number of contacts per case has gone from 2.5 in November to an average of 6.3 in the last days. This is a long way from where we need to be and I call on everyone of all ages to adhere to the restrictions imposed by the government that it has introduced: stay home except for essential reasons, other than to exercise. up to 5 km “.
Dr. Colm Henry, HSE Clinical Director, said: “The pressure on our public health system, including testing and tracing services, is not sustainable.
“A collective response from every individual, in every county, to follow the public health advice is essential to address the recent acceleration in the number of cases that we are seeing now.
“The reintroduction of Level 5 restrictions is essential to protect our vital public services, such as hospital admissions and non-COVID-related care, and to have the maximum impact in the shortest time possible to minimize the spread of this disease.”
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Medical Director of the Department of Health, said: “While we are currently in a very dire situation, we are not powerless against COVID-19. The best tool we have at the moment are others.
(Image: Collins)
“We have shown on multiple occasions that we can act collectively to break chains of transmission, reduce the intensity of this epidemic and slow the increase in cases.
As we look forward to the New Year, we remember the 2,237 people who sadly died with COVID-19 in Ireland in 2020, along with all their families and loved ones who are grieving their loss.
“Let’s do everything we can to ensure that as few families as possible are similarly affected in 2021.”
Professor Philip Nolan, Chairman of NPHET’s Irish Epidemiological Modeling Advisory Group, said: “The epidemiological situation is very serious and the virus is spreading rapidly among all age groups, increasing the risk for those most vulnerable to infections. serious, such as the medically vulnerable and people over 60.
“The breeding number is at least 1.6-1.8. The daily growth rate is now estimated at 7-10%, giving a doubling time of 7-10 days or less.
“We project a significant additional increase in cases and hospitalizations in the next few days before public health measures take effect and we are likely to see more than 700-1000 people in the hospital with COVID-19 by the beginning of the new year.
“While it is difficult to face further restrictions, it is vital that everyone play their part by following public health advice to protect the most vulnerable in the population.”
Professor Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunization Advisory Committee, said: “The rollout of our national immunization program is underway with our first priority targeting nursing home residents and frontline healthcare personnel.
“Once more COVID-19 vaccines have been licensed, it will be possible to increase vaccine availability capacity across the country.
“The vaccine is a vital tool in our strategy to protect against COVID-19 infection and goes hand in hand with public health measures on hand washing, social distancing and staying home.
“We need to stand firm now and collectively we can reduce the number of viruses quickly and protect our vital public services.”
In a letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, CMO Dr. Tony Holohan warned that Level 5 restrictions may not be enough to stop the spread of the virus.
Dr Holohan wrote: “Given the general transmission of the disease and the impact it is having on hospitalizations, as well as emerging concerns about the increased transmissibility of the UK and South African variants, I am of the opinion that the current set of measures, which are less than the full set recommended by NPHET last Wednesday, will not be enough to control the current trajectory. “
As the country begins Level Five restrictions, home visits are banned with the exception of essential reasons, while the 5km travel limit has also returned.
Schools aside, which will start again on January 11, is a return to the full-scale lockdown until at least the end of next month.
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