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Public health expert Dr. Gabriel Scally has said that there are still “many viruses circulating” and that “an astonishing amount of travel is occurring” as the latest figures show that hospital cases continue to decline.
Dr. Scally said that Covid-19 is an “extraordinarily dangerous virus and we cannot afford not to take precautions and control it.”
On Saturday he told RTE with Katie Hannon that several countries are seeing an increase in cases and that Ireland “cannot take it for granted that it is going to be a smooth downward path.”
“I think the other thing to remember is that it was a big peak that was reached in January and February,” he said.
“It was avoidable but decisions were made and we had a large peak of cases and we have to come down from a very high peak and that is difficult because it requires time and commitment and compliance with difficult rules. I can understand a lot of the frustration about that, but I have to calm down. “
Dr Gabriel Scally has said that there are still “many viruses circulating” in Ireland. Photograph: Crispin Rodwell / The Irish Times
The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 has continued to fall to 331, according to the latest HSE figures.
There were 86 patients with the virus in intensive care (ICU) on Friday night.
Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown in Dublin has 40 Covid-19 cases, the highest number in the country, followed by Mater Hospital (31) and St James’s Hospital (31).
HSE daily operations figures show that there are 37 ICU beds available for adults and 6 for children.
Paul Reid, executive director of HSE, said on Saturday that the supply of vaccines “will improve” and that 600,000 of “the most vulnerable have been protected and prioritized.
“Older people, in nursing homes and in the community, are now less at risk. Our health workers can take care of our sickest, feeling more secure. The right approach for now, ”Reid said on Twitter.
Launch of vaccines
For her part, the Minister of State for Mental Health and the Elderly, Mary Butler, said that the launch of the vaccine has had to adapt to “the various changes it faces almost daily now in relation to the amount of vaccines we are receiving. in the country”.
Butler said that even though the priority for this week remains the 80+ year old cohort, implementation remains in line with the government’s prioritization schedule.
He said the calendar states that everyone over the age of 70 will have received their first dose in mid-April and a second dose in mid-May.
“We are still on the right track in relation to that with the supply that we have received to date, but it all depends on the supply,” he said.
The Waterford TD said that Ireland should have received 1.1 million doses by the end of March, but that 200,000 of them are expected to be received around the last day of the month, “that will take us to April to vaccinate.”
However, Monaghan’s GP, Dr. Illona Duffy, said doctors across the country received an email Friday night from the HSE saying there are “continuing problems” with the delivery of Pfizer vaccines. and Modern. He said the plan now is to vaccinate those over 80 for the next few weeks, while those over 70 will have to wait.
“We understand that receiving and importing the vaccine is out of anyone’s control, it all depends on when they can come and where they can go,” he said. “I think our real problem is the lack of communication with GPs and public communication and what are their expectations.”
Dr. Duffy said her surgery expected a batch of vaccines to arrive on Friday, with a vaccination clinic planned for Tuesday. He said they were informed earlier this week that the vaccines would not arrive and that they had to contact those who had been tentatively booked.
“We believe that there should be a clear clarification from HSE and the Minister of Health on the delays and create a new expectation about when people can expect to have their vaccinations administered,” he added.
Concern
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported another 10 deaths of Covid-19 patients on Friday and 646 confirmed cases of the disease.
Concern has grown in recent days that the number of new cases has remained stagnant at around 500-600 cases per day, months after a third lockdown and despite the launch of the vaccine.
A sustained increase in the number of Covid cases would jeopardize plans to reopen construction and other parts of society on April 5, political and public health leaders have said.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the hope remains that rules limiting construction, outdoor activities and travel restrictions can be relaxed next month. However, he told Virgin Media that “reopening on April 5 of any kind will not be possible if we go in the wrong direction in terms of case numbers.”
The Taoiseach told RTÉ that “it makes no sense to open up and have to close again.
“We have partially reopened the schools successfully, but we will be watching for those numbers and it is the journey between now and closer to April 5 that will determine the announcement of the 5 in terms of what we can do for April.”
Professor Philip Nolan, a senior member of the Nphet, told The Irish Times that an increase in the number of cases could lead to fundamental changes to the plan.
“We are at a particular juncture, the disease could go in any direction. I remain optimistic that we can get it back under control, but if we can’t, and if the number of cases starts to rise again, we would have to re-evaluate the position completely, ”he said.
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