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A Cabinet meeting has been scheduled for Friday afternoon to discuss the new restrictions proposed by Covid-19 for Dublin, it is understood.
Ministers have been asked to attend in person at government buildings, with the option of calling by phone for those unable to attend.
The ministers are expected to approve the recommendations of public health experts from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), which were being discussed at a cabinet committee meeting at lunchtime Friday.
Ealier, HSE chief Paul Reid, said Dublin hospitals were under “significant pressure” from rising coronavirus cases. Ireland’s hospitals are not overwhelmed, but “we are seeing the impact of the increase in cases,” Reid said.
The government is expected to approve the proposal to move Dublin to Tier 3 of the government’s five-tier scale of restrictions revealed Tuesday as part of its Living with Covid plan.
The Level 3 restrictions will go into effect at midnight on Friday and were expected to be in effect for a period of three weeks.
On Thursday night, health officials reported that one more person had died from Covid-19 and 240 more cases had been reported. Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn said that half of the cases (119) occurred in Dublin, while there was also a rising age profile among those contracting the virus.
The latest figures mean the death toll in the state has risen to 1,789. Confirmed cases have now passed the 32,000 mark, climbing to 32,023.
“If we continue on the road that we are going, we will be heading to a road that could take us back to the point where we have to take more restrictive measures,” Reid told Morning Ireland on RTÉ radio.
“Right now, hospitals are coping, but we will see that our hospital system will be under pressure and it doesn’t take many cases to start freezing the wards and beds.”
Mr. Reid explained that the rooms should be “frozen” and discontinued when a Covid case is identified. This was to allow for deep cleaning, but it meant they could be out of use for days.
When asked about the impact of the hospitality sector when more cases come from the community, he explained that cases were brought to the community from where people had gathered or congregated. “It’s about where people are,” he said.
Meanwhile, an emergency medicine consultant cautioned that the HSE must urgently address the problem of a shortage of intensive care beds rather than trying to reassure people that there is no problem.
Dr Fergal Hickey said that even before Covid, the health care system was “critically short” of intensive care beds “at best.” For someone to claim that there were enough intensive care beds was wrong, he said.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Dr. Hickey said the evidence contradicted any claims about the sufficient capacity of intensive care beds. While some areas of hospitals could become additional critical care capacity, the reality was that there were shortages, he said.
“As the number continues to increase, people will need hospitalization and intensive care. We are seeing an increase in older people, who are more vulnerable, who become infected and will require critical care, as well as some young people, ”he said.
Dublin restrictions
Under additional restrictions for Dublin, restaurants, eateries and pubs serving food will only be allowed to open if they have outdoor facilities or take out facilities.
The authorities have already decided that the pubs that do not serve food, the so-called ‘wet pubs’ will remain closed in Dublin when they reopen across the country on September 21.
In Dublin, social and family gatherings outside the home are likely to be prohibited, while home visits should be restricted to people from another home. Sports matches will also be suspended, although there is an exemption for elite sport, which includes club championship games.
Organized indoor events such as conferences and events in theaters, cinemas or art venues will not be allowed. Outdoor events will be limited to 15 people. Gyms will be allowed to open for individual training only. Churches and places of worship will remain open for private prayer only, although funerals will have an exemption. Even here, however, only 25 mourners will be allowed.
The government’s public health experts made the latest recommendations Thursday night, amid growing alarm over a surge in cases in the past seven to 10 days.
The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin and the Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar are likely to make an announcement later today.
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