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A government minister has said that an exponential increase in hospital admissions with Covid-19, the presence of a new variant of the coronavirus in Ireland, and the tripling of the number of referrals for Covid testing suggest a return to lockdown is imminent Complete Level 5.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said that the state, like many other countries, is in a “dark and worrying place” regarding Covid-19 right now.
He spoke shortly after ministers were notified that a cabinet meeting had been hastily arranged for Wednesday afternoon, to discuss the deteriorating situation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. There are signs that the government is likely to reintroduce non-essential retail closures; reimpose 5 km travel restrictions and advance by two days the rule that prohibits more than one household from gathering in a house or garden.
Harris said that, given the evidence of exponential growth in various indicators in recent days, he would “not be surprised” if there were 2,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day by New Year’s Day, as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had predicted. before Christmas.
“This morning we saw 409 people with Covid-19 in Irish hospitals,” Harris said. “That is the highest number of people with Covid that we have seen in Irish hospitals since May 15.
“We have seen 34 [Covid] ICU patients, a significant rebound. There has also been a significant increase in the positivity rate. “
He said HSE CEO Paul Reid had said that 10 percent of those being tested now test positive for Covid-19.
Harris also took note of comments from GPs Tuesday that they have referred 70,000 patients for the Covid test in the fourth week of December compared to a figure of 25,000 in the first week of December.
“On top of all that, we know that this new variant is here in Ireland. We have seen the impact it has had on the UK. Anything that is more transmissible and easier to transmit is a sign of concern, “he added.
Harris said the new information, as well as the latest advice from Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Tony Holohan, would be discussed at the cabinet meeting, but suggested that an additional layer of restrictions was inevitable.
‘Justified’
Harris said some people had questioned the meaning of more severe closures in the past and asked the government what the point of having them was if closures were to occur in the future.
“This time is [a lockdown is] justified, ”he said. “This time we have a clear answer. Vaccines get us out of this mess. We have to do everything we can to stop it [Covid-19] down. Tomorrow afternoon there will be a cabinet meeting. The Taoiseach [Micheál Martin] you have correctly called that and will give us a chance to evaluate all the evidence.
“Have no doubts, no one needs a cabinet meeting or a government decision to tell us what to do. The CMO’s advice is very, very clear. If possible, stay home. “
Harris said New Years Eve parties were a “no no”, even in outdoor settings.
“The CMO’s advice is good enough for me. He has said very clearly to us, the people of Ireland, cut down on your social contacts, stay home and keep to yourself. “
He said the Taoiseach was going to update his colleagues on the latest medical advice.
“We are now dealing with a new variant, discovered very recently. It is a great risk. One reason is that it spreads much more easily, can make more people sick, and land more people in the hospital.
“We don’t want to fall into the last hurdle.”
Mr. Harris pointed to a number of positive factors in the effort against Covid-19, including the first use of the new Pfizer vaccine in the Republic. He also said that there were 973 empty beds in Irish hospitals and that ICUs were not close to capacity. He warned that unless the figures were contained, health services could come under increasing pressure.
The Minister spoke a day after Dr. Holohan said that the “worrying trend” of increasing hospital admissions reflects the “sharp increase” in Covid-19 rates seen in the past 10 days. “Now we have exceeded the cumulative number of people hospitalized in this third wave than in the second. Hospitalizations have increased dramatically in the last two days, ”he said.
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