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The Taoiseach has said that a full and consistent statement will be made next week on the level of Covid-19 restrictions that will apply over the next period.
Micheál Martin made the remarks at a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, which heard calls from TD and senators for a medium-term plan once those over 70 and those with underlying diseases are vaccinated.
Several TDs also called for a reduction of the 5km travel limit, which was described by Mayo TD Lisa Chambers as “ridiculous.”
Some members felt that travel beyond 10 km, or even 20 km, should be allowed.
The Taoiseach told the meeting that “progress is fragile.” He said a decision has not yet been made on easing the level five restrictions and that speculation needed to be avoided.
Martin said that most people over 70 will receive their first vaccination in mid-April and their second dose in mid-May.
Earlier, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, will be on Tuesday before the Government makes its decisions on restrictions after April 5, following the meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team on Monday.
He said it makes sense to wait a few more days before receiving advice from NPHET, because the government is dealing with a “dynamic situation” in terms of Covid-19 case numbers.
There is “light at the end of the tunnel,” he said, and we are seeing that countries like the UK could start easing restrictions in the coming weeks.
He said “it gives us confidence if we can get enough vaccines in enough arms, we would be in a much better place.”
Varadkar said Ireland could learn from the UK’s mistakes.
# COVID-19 Ireland Weekly Outbreak / Cluster Report – Focuses on Nursing Homes and Community Hospitals, Residential Institutions, Acute Hospitals and an overview of other vulnerable populations https://t.co/rLnCMtzFMv pic.twitter.com/CCNL4l6909
– HSE Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) (@hpscireland) March 24, 2021
Covid-19 outbreaks in private homes and schools increased last week, according to the latest figures from the Center for Health Protection Surveillance.
The total number of outbreaks was 404, which increased by 65 compared to the previous week.
An outbreak is two or more related cases and the data covers from the week to the last Saturday, including St. Patrick’s Day.
The total number includes 95 “late notification” outbreaks that occurred between October and January, most related to private homes.
The number of outbreaks in private homes increased from 55 to 258, while outbreaks in private / general homes also increased from five to 14.
24 outbreaks were reported in schools last week, 16 more than the previous week, and outbreaks in daycare centers also increased from eight to 16.
There was a small increase in outbreaks in the workplace from five to 19.
The figures also showed that outbreaks in nursing homes and hospitals had been reduced.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said secondary schools will “return” after Easter.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, he said the government is “working hard to deliver on the plans” it has for after Easter.
“They will return. I am well aware of the impact on the well-being of our boys and girls, on their families, and what that means, in particular for the ability of our young students to return to some kind of normal life and how important it is. for your health.
“We are working very hard to fulfill the plans that we have, after Easter,” said the minister.
Donohoe said that Ireland is making progress on Covid-19.
He said the government’s decisions in the next few days “will lay the groundwork” to get to a “better place” later in the year, but “any change” in public health orientation will be “gradual” and “very , very preserved”.
He said “worrying trends” have emerged in recent days.
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Meanwhile, the latest HSE figures show that there has been a significant drop in the number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
Last night, the HSE reported 325 patients, a reduction of 32 cases. The number of patients in intensive care has also decreased from four to 76.
The Vaccination Working Group said the campaign aims to have people 70 and older fully vaccinated by mid-May.
He said that “there is no variation” in the program and that those over 70 will have received their first dose in mid-April and the second in mid-May.
The task force said the supply chains for this group using mRNA vaccines have become more stable and larger deliveries are expected starting this month.
He added that full protection is reached seven to 14 days after the second dose, meaning this group will have full protection after mid-May.
As of last Saturday, 176,343 people age 70 and older had received their first dose and 14,292 had received their second dose of vaccine.
This Group 3 consists of just under half a million people and GPs are administering the vaccines.
HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said swab referrals are up 35% Monday and 42% yesterday compared to the same days last week.
In a post on Twitter, he said that with hospitalizations there is great hope, “but we have to be alert to the virus in our community.”
# COVID-19 swab referrals increased on Monday (35%) and Tuesday (42%) compared to the same days last week. Positively, hospitalizations have been reduced to 325 and 76 in the ICU. Available vaccines protect the most vulnerable. Great hope, but we must be alert to the virus in our community. @HSELive
– Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) March 24, 2021
Speaking at a briefing this morning, the Deputy Secretary of the Taoiseach Department said that the increase in referrals for the Covid-19 smear is a worrying early indicator.
Liz Canavan said there has been a 9% week-over-week increase in the number of cases, the first increase since the peak of the third wave, and 13 counties now have community positivity rates of more than 10%.
Yesterday, the Department of Health reported 24 more deaths related to Covid-19 and 371 new cases of the disease.
The National Public Health Emergency Team has informed the Government that the situation remains particularly fragile and precarious.
NPHET said progress that had been ongoing since the beginning of the year had recently stalled and disease incidence and test positivity have stalled at a high level in recent days.
He also said that population mobility indicators had increased in recent days.
Meanwhile, no further coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Northern Ireland over the past 24 hours, while 139 new cases have been confirmed.
There are 154 confirmed Covid-19 patients in the hospital, with 14 in the ICU, 12 of whom are hooked up to ventilators.
The incidence rate of seven days per 100,000 in Northern Ireland stands at 53.9, the lowest figure since 20 September.
Oncologist warns of probable interruption of cancer services for two years
The pandemic is likely to disrupt cancer care services for about two years overall, according to oncologist Professor Seamus O’Reilly.
He said there is a need to focus on addressing gaps in care to prevent long-term suffering in communities.
Professor O’Reilly, a consultant medical oncologist at Cork University Hospital, said a UK Lancet study estimated that it will be the second quarter of 2022 before the end of the disruption to services caused by the pandemic.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said that since Ireland is behind the UK in its vaccination program, the interruption of services here will continue for more than the nine months projected by the HSE.
Professor O’Reilly said that last year the National Cancer Institute modeled what a six-month break in breast and colorectal cancer care would lead to, and this model indicated an increase in mortality over the next ten years.
He said that he sees an enormous amount of suffering in his daily work and that it is now a duty of care to mobilize the cancer community.
Additional reporting by David Murphy, Fergal Bowers
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