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Ireland has the fastest improving Covid-19 incidence in Europe, down 43% in the past two weeks, according to the National Public Health Emergency Team.
Ireland’s performance is notable for the overall progress being made in reducing transmission, according to Deputy Medical Director Dr. Desmond Hickey. The 14-day incidence has fallen 23 percent in the last week, and only Belgium and Malta are also managing to reduce transmission.
Dr Hickey said that while cases were increasing in most European countries, in some there were signs of possible stabilization.
The European Center for Disease Control will issue guidance this week on the Covid-19 variant that has been identified in mink farms in Denmark, according to medical director Dr. Tony Holohan.
The problem, which arose after a variant of the virus infected mink farm workers after the animals had been infected by humans, has led to travel restrictions across Europe and serial testing at all three Irish mink farms. .
But Dr. Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said it was “too early to worry too much” about the issue.
At worst, he said, the mutated strain could prove resistant to a new vaccine when it is developed, he said. However, to have a significant impact, it would have to become the dominant strain globally and this was unlikely.
Nphet has reported the death of another Covid-19 patient. This brings to 1,948 the total number of deaths in the state in this pandemic.
Nphet also reported another 270 confirmed cases of the disease on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the Republic to 65,659.
‘First positive step’
The latest cases were reported on a day when a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer emerged and Germany’s BioNTech was found to be over 90% effective.
The finding was the result of the first independent analysis of any Covid-19 vaccine in phase 3 trials, the final stage before commercial licensing. The study found that 94 participants who received the two-dose vaccine were protected against disease 28 days after their first inoculation.
Dr. de Gascun said the news about the vaccine trial was a very positive first step.
“It is certainly positive. Over 90 percent effective, if that’s true in the real world, it’ll be a very good start, “he said.
He cautions that the vaccine being developed by Pfizer required two doses, so this posed potential challenges. It was also handled and transported at minus 80 degrees “so it could be difficult to deploy.”
“It is not going to be a global solution, but it is certainly a very positive first step,” he told the Nphet briefing on Monday.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said officials needed to see reliable data available to regulators and published in the scientific literature.
“We are hopeful, but it is certainly not a time to celebrate,” he said, adding that people should stick to basic public health measures.
Where there are vaccines whose effectiveness is known, along with their effect on people, Ireland will be able to organize the distribution of supplies as part of the joint procurement agreements we have with the EU, he said.
Dr. Holohan said there has been a lot of “anticipatory planning work” done behind the scenes before the arrival of a vaccine and “when the time is right, we will work out the details.”
Much will depend on the vaccine that is given and the specific conditions that must be observed for its delivery, he said. “There are many problems in relation to this vaccine that are not yet known, regarding the final effectiveness, the number of doses and the logistical problems related to the supply of the cold chain,” he noted.
Regulatory approval would proceed through the European Medicines Agency. “We will await your evaluation when the data is available.
Measurements
Monday’s new cases include 103 in Dublin, 34 in Limerick, 20 in Donegal, 12 in Cork, nine in Kerry, nine in Kilkenny and 83 spread across 20 other counties.
Nphet is working on planning the kinds of measures that could be implemented after the current Level 5 restrictions end in December, Dr. Holohan said.
This advice, which has not been finalized, will be provided to the government in due course, according to Dr. Holohan, who declined to be called on what relaxation measures could take place in the lead up to Christmas.
He said there was “nothing inevitable” about a third wave of the disease, and that people could influence what happened and how it happened through their public health behaviors.
Dublin remained a cause for concern, as the reduction in incidence there is still less than in the rest of the country. He also expressed concern about recent outbreaks associated with funerals and health care settings.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 291 Covid-19 patients in the hospital, including 39 in the ICU. There were twelve additional hospitalizations in the last 24 hours.
There have been 18 Covid-19-related deaths so far this month, compared to 117 in October and 36 in September.
Ireland has the fourth lowest incidence of the disease in Europe, behind Estonia, Norway and Finland. Last week had the lowest numbers.
The current 14-day incidence nationwide is 161 cases per 100,000 people, according to Nphet. Donegal has the highest incidence with 275.8, followed by Limerick with 213.4. Dublin, where the number of cases is declining more slowly than the rest of the state, ranks sixth among counties with an incidence of 173.7.
Leitrim has the lowest incidence, at 37.4.
The Northern health department also recorded another ten deaths from Covid-19 and 471 new cases on Monday.
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