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Schools are likely to remain closed for at least another week and possibly until the end of January due to the rise in Covid-19 infections, according to high-level political sources.
Most ministers privately believe that the Cabinet will decide on Wednesday to delay the planned reopening of schools on January 11, The Irish Times has understood.
However, officials may be asked to look into keeping certain schools open at Level 5 for students with special needs.
Talks are also taking place at a higher level about whether or not the construction should remain open for the remainder of the Level 5 lockdown.
The number of new virus cases rose to a new daily record of 6,110 on Monday, making the current wave worse than the first last spring.
Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan, speaking with Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the subject of schools on Monday, said that although the incidence among school children was lower than in other age groups, it had increased “very, very fast.” .
The National Public Health Emergencies Team (Nphet) was more concerned about transmission levels in this age group than it was a week ago, it said Monday night. “We are concerned about our ability to ensure the continued delivery of any of the key public services that we have tried to protect, and education is one of them.”
Dr. Holohan said he is more concerned than at any point in the pandemic so far, warning that current levels of infection “drive many people to hospitals and funeral homes.”
Wider restrictions
The cabinet subcommittee on Covid-19 meets Tuesday to discuss the situation in schools and what broader restrictions may be necessary.
It is understood that a decision can also be made after that meeting regarding the travel ban from Great Britain and South Africa, which was due to expire on Tuesday.
Dr. Holohan has indicated to the Government that further restrictions may be necessary to slow the spread of the virus.
However, high-level sources have warned that “there is not much more that can be done” when it comes to the restrictions.
There is growing reluctance among ministers to reduce travel restrictions from 5 km to 2 km.
The latest Covid-19 figures are “beyond any projection and beyond our worst fears,” said a minister.
With Nphet reporting another six deaths on Monday, officials say there could be as many as 2,000 people with Covid-19 in the hospital, and up to 400 in the ICU, by mid-January, unless Level 5 restrictions are strictly enforced.
Before Christmas, HSE CEO Paul Reid told his board in a private report that he could not “guarantee a reasonable standard of care for all patients” if the number of patients in need of critical care exceeded 350.
Non-urgent care
The HSE confirmed Monday that non-urgent care in some hospitals will be canceled due to increased hospitalizations. As of Monday afternoon, there were 776 Covid-19 patients in the hospital, including 70 in the ICU.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said this week’s vaccination targets increased from 20,000 to 35,000 due to the availability of additional supplies.
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine will be administered as originally planned with a three-week interval between the two doses after the National Immunization Advisory Committee rejected the idea of giving a first dose to more people and lengthening the interval between doses, such as the UK has done.
The European Medicines Agency will announce its decision on a second vaccine from Moderna on Wednesday. If licensed, this vaccine should be available in Ireland “soon”, according to health officials.
In the UK, Boris Johnson has introduced a national lockdown on England until mid-February, closing schools and universities and ordering people to stay home. In an address televised from Downing Street, he said an increase in infections driven by a newer variant of the more easily transmissible virus was putting the National Health Service (NHS) under more pressure than at any time since the start of the pandemic.
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