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HSE chief Paul Reid has said implementation of the vaccination program will begin a day earlier than planned, as some healthcare workers will receive the first dose on Tuesday.
r Reid, speaking on RTÉ Radio, said the vaccine mobilization program is ambitious as it will do all nursing homes in a “three-week sweep” and then do the same three weeks later to administer the second dose.
The HSE chief said that “safety and efficacy” were the most important factors when deciding the dates of vaccination in nursing homes.
Reid said he was “disappointed” with Medical Council President Rita Doyle’s comments on Twitter yesterday when she criticized the number of delays in vaccinating people and also the number of vaccines given in a day.
“The HSE has the well-being and safety of the people in mind, as does the Medical Council,” Reid said, adding that he had not received direct correspondence from Ms Doyle herself.
He added that “nobody wants people to start getting vaccinated before me.”
Mr. Reid said that the current growth in numbers is very worrying for the HSE.
He noted that while the health service is in a better place than ever in January, the “situation is very volatile and we have to protect it.”
He urged the public to really limit their contacts as the New Year approaches, saying “this is the most important thing we can do in the next few days.”
It comes after Reid warned of the “alarming” number of people being tested for Covid-19 in recent days.
“Our highest daily tests are now 23,000.
“The positivity of the community reaches 10%. Close contacts with an average of five people.
“Call tracking [have] gone from less than 10,000 to more than 30,000 per week. “
Mr. Reid also pleaded with people to “review New Year’s plans to stay safe.”
All indicators of the disease have continued to deteriorate, as 1,296 new cases were confirmed yesterday along with two more deaths.
88,104 people have contracted coronavirus in Ireland since the pandemic began, and 2,200 have lost their lives to the virus.
According to the latest HSE data, there are 320 people in the hospital with Covid-19 this afternoon. There have been 31 people hospitalized with the virus in the last 24 hours.
Currently, there are also 26 people in ICU with the virus.
The positivity rate for all tests performed in the last seven days has risen to 5.3%.
This comes as the first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine were delivered to HSE yesterday morning, and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed that the first vaccinations will be made on Wednesday.
Ireland received 9,750 doses of the vaccine and is expected to receive 30,000 more in early January.
Online editors
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