[ad_1]
The number of people admitted to hospital with COVID-19 is a “worrying trend” and the situation “will get worse before it gets better.”
That’s the grim warning from Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan today as 1,754 cases of coronavirus were reported in Ireland along with 11 more deaths.
Right now, there are between 50 and 70 people admitted to Irish hospitals every day.
In the last days, more than 9,000 positive tests have been registered in Ireland and are waiting to be confirmed as cases. A delay in confirming cases means they will be announced in the next few days.
Yesterday, 5,573 positive tests were registered out of the 26,866 taken, a positivity rate of 20.7%.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Medical Director of the Department of Health, said: “The most worrying trend today is the rapid increase in the number of people entering the hospital; we now admit between 50 and 70 people a day in our hospital system. Unfortunately, we expect this to get worse before it gets better. Our healthcare system will not continue to face this level of impact.
“We have also seen a significant increase in positive laboratory tests in recent days, reflecting a real increase in the incidence of the disease, as well as the delay in people showing up for tests over the Christmas period. As our systems catch up with these effects, it puts significant pressure on our reporting system.
“We have always understood that the number of positive tests or confirmed cases would be a less reliable indicator during the Christmas period. This is typical of the annual infectious disease reports during the two weeks of Christmas and New Years.
“What is clear are the measures that the government has now ordered and the behaviors that we, as individuals, must observe. Everyone must stay at home, except for essential jobs or care.”
[ad_2]