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Another 6,610 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland today and six other people have sadly passed away after contracting the virus.
There have been a total of 2,265 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.
There are now a total of 107,997 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases reported today:
- 2,911 are men / 3,195 are women
- 63% are under 45
- The average age is 36 years.
3,655 in Dublin, 323 in Kildare, 291 in Cork, 234 in Limerick, 137 in Louth and the remaining 1,470 cases are distributed in all other counties.
As of 2:00 p.m. today, 776 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized, of which 70 are in the ICU. 92 additional hospitalizations in the last 24 hours.
(Image: Collins)
Dr. Tony Holohan, Medical Director of the Department of Health, said; “Community leaders and organizations across the country now need to support their colleagues, neighbors, family, and friends to follow the spirit of public health councils.
“We must restrict our movements, we have to limit the people we interact with outside our homes, if we want to suppress the virus and maintain our essential services.”
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Medical Director, Department of Health, said; “People particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 include the elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer.
“The incidence of disease in the community is now at a level where vulnerable people must stay home unless absolutely essential.”
Professor Philip Nolan, Chairman of NPHET’s Irish Epidemiological Modeling Advisory Group, said: “Scenario models increase the possibility of 1,500 to 2,000 people in the hospital and 200 to 400 people in the ICU by mid-January, if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence.
“It will be necessary for all of us to adopt the public health measures of staying home and reducing contacts, to suppress current levels of disease.”
Mr. Liam Woods, HSE National Director, Acute Operations, said; “We are making cuts in non-essential services at adult hospitals to address the increase in admissions from COVID-19.
“This will be subject to continuous review. In case of an emergency, attend an Emergency Department as usual and if you have any concerns regarding your health, COVID or non-COVID, always contact your GP in the first instance. “.
Professor Karina Butler, chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, said; “The vaccination program for the first priority groups has started.
“Implementation has accelerated this week. As we continue to provide vaccines to the entire population, we urge anyone with concerns or questions to contact their GP, pharmacist, or healthcare provider for factual information and trustworthy.
“The HSE.ie website also provides reliable information on the efficacy and safety of vaccines.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced today that a decision will be made on Wednesday on whether schools should reopen.
It revealed this morning that the government has not received a recommendation from medical experts in infectious diseases or public health to keep schools closed.
However, updated information will determine the decision on whether to reopen schools or switch to distance learning.
Scotland’s decentralized government announced at lunch today that all schools will be closed until 1 February.
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