The rapid growth of Covid-19 in recent days shows how unstable the outbreak was before Christmas, according to a leading infectious diseases specialist.
The Department of Health reported 1,296 new cases yesterday, the highest-ever number confirmed in a single day in the Republic.
Six more patients with the virus have died, bringing the death toll to 2,200.
The first vaccines to be administered in this country will be given to nursing home residents on Wednesday.
Stable
Professor Sam McConkey says the outbreak could only be called “stable” here if we were seeing under ten cases a day.
Prof McConkey said: “Now we're starting to look for the longer days, and the hope and the spring, and the new life and everyone's starting to feel that optimism and hope of coronavirus and the vaccine coming, and that's all great this turning has happened.
“I think at the same time as all that, we are in the middle of a very brisk third wave that's clearly bigger than the second wave.
“It's clearly worse than we were back in October so we do need this cohesive action again.”
Vaccine roll-out
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warned that the start of the roll-out of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine will not mean a quick return to normal life.
He said it would take at least six months for normality to return to life in Ireland.
Mr Martin said: “The first six months of 2021 we will see improvements, but we certainly not will see normality in the first six months.”
The European Union approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December.
The European Medicines Agency issued a provisional marketing authorisation.
Mr Martin said that initial phase would make a “significant difference” and protect the most vulnerable.
He added: “Certainly manufacturing of the vaccine will be ramped up, certainly from March onwards.”
Mr Martin said May and June had been identified as “critical” months.
“From the summer on we will see a degree of normality but I cannot be definite about that.”
