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Hopes are mounting that the third wave of Covid-19 may finally be in retreat after the number of daily cases fell yesterday to 359, the lowest since mid-December.
Hospitals also saw a drop in Covid-19 patients, to 498, from 540 the day before.
The most seriously ill patients in intensive care were also reduced from 120 to 116.
However, 14 additional deaths from Covid-19 were reported.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed that Covid-19 infections in Irish hospital staff have been reduced by around 95%.
He told the Oireachtas Health Committee that this was related to vaccine protection, along with the drop in community transmission of the virus.
“The good news is that the pressure has dropped. Today we have seen that the number of Covid cases in hospitals has dropped below 500, which is very, very welcome. “
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronan Glynn said that while yesterday’s numbers can be attributed to a weekend effect, in which people postpone testing, it is very welcome and represents the lowest number of reported cases in a single day from mid-December.
“While we continued to make good progress in Ireland, globally over the past week, the number of Covid-19 cases has increased for the first time in seven weeks.
“We must not allow this virus to have the opportunity to do the same here. Please stand firm on the public health councils and together we can continue to protect and build on the progress we have made in the past two months. “
The improvement came yesterday when the Northern Ireland Executive agreed on its roadmap to remove Covid-19 restrictions.
No-drink cafes and outdoor sports facilities will be among the first to open when Northern Ireland moves from
lock, has arisen.
Donnelly told the health committee that he expects 500,000 vaccines of the 520,000 that have been delivered here so far to be administered this week.
However, committee members said that some GPs were still not giving birth to their patients 85 and older.
GPs only get a 48-hour delivery notice, but the hope is that by the end of this week, about 71,000 of the 72,000 in this age group will have received their first dose.
The minister said that homebound people have not yet been vaccinated and that the HSE must implement special measures such as home visits to GPs, while the ambulance service will also be involved.
He said the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (CANI) is conducting an ongoing review of the priority list.
He suggested that the review could move key workers, such as teachers, up the list.
Donnelly said: “What you’re looking at now is the following grouping, which is a very large grouping, which are key workers.
“Thus, for example, family caregivers. Many people have been advocating for family caregivers.
“So one of the things the NIAC is looking at right now is key workers, including the role they play, for example, in supporting health care or the vaccination program itself.
“Or indeed, other essential activities, such as education and, indeed, care.”
Donnelly said the vast majority of people over the age of 85 will have received their first vaccination by the end of this week.
He said there are cases pending for some people who are confined to their homes, with special measures such as home visits to the GP and ambulance service being implemented for those cases.
The committee also heard that there are now more than 700,000 people on hospital waiting lists, an increase of almost 22 percent from the previous year.
He admitted that hospital waiting lists had been a problem for years and that this had been exacerbated by the pandemic. He said 1.1 billion euros in health funding will go towards new measures to tackle the problem.
Online editors
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