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Paul Reid will tell the Dáil Covid Committee tomorrow that the HSE is preparing for the “worst case scenario” in the winter war against coronavirus.
The shocking warning from the head of the health service comes as the latest daily case numbers, 390, remain at levels not seen for the last time since the height of the crisis in late spring.
Mr. Reid also said that the HSE is now resigned to the fact that the country faces “later waves” of the virus.
This means that the current wave we are facing is probably far from the last, and that we are preparing for a long-term battle against the deadly virus for months, if not years, to come.
Mr. Reid will make his anticipated appearance before Oireachtas’ special committee on Covid on Tuesday morning.
(Image: Getty Images)
His debut will be followed by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly on Wednesday, after the minister returns to front-line work from his own personal Covid scare last week.
It is a crucial week for the government and the health service, as other areas of the country are approaching Level Three out of five in the new alert system.
Mr Reid’s comments in his opening statement to the Oireachtas committee add to this.
It is expected to say: “A difficult winter season, coupled with a resurgence in Covid-19, is the worst possible scenario for our healthcare services.
“While this is an eventuality that we hope to avoid, it is also a scenario for which we have been carefully planning.
“The HSE Board and I wish to acknowledge that the Government has committed significant resources to our Winter Plan to help us manage the extremely challenging period ahead.”
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And he adds: “The HSE Winter Plan, launched on September 24, aims to ensure that the service is prepared for these expected pressures while providing services in the context of the continued presence of Covid-19.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that we can wait, and therefore we must plan for the next waves of Covid-19.”
Mr. Reid will also update TDs on the progress of the annual flu vaccination program.
It is going well and it is expected that two million doses will have been administered by the end of October, offering good protection to the general population, and the most vulnerable in particular.
Test numbers are also increasing and are now nearly 90,000 a week, close to the 100,000 target set by the government.
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