The country’s chief medical officer has said some “early progress” has been seen towards slowing the spread of Covid-19 across Ireland.
As a third wave of infection has surged across the island with a vaccine roll-out trailing behind, Dr Tony Holohan called for health and education to be protected.
His comments came as a further 5,325 cases and 17 deaths were confirmed in the Republic.
“We are now experiencing a considerable surge in cases and hospitalisations. We can turn this around quickly if we stick to the measures we know worked last spring,” Dr Holohan tweeted.
“We have seen some early progress in that the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days – but we need to continue this effort to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead.
We have seen some early progress in that the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days, but we need to continue this effort to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead.
Advertisement— Dr Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) January 5, 2021
“If we all stay home and keep to the public health advice, we can bring Covid-19 back under control - which ultimately will protect our essential services such as health and education and most importantly save lives.”
It comes as the provision of both health services and education have come under threat amid soaring daily case numbers.
The Taoiseach has confirmed that the closure of schools, childcare and the construction sector are under Government discussion.
Deleted post
On Tuesday, a post went out on Fianna Fáil social media channels appearing to confirm school closures, before it was quickly deleted.
It read: “An Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD has confirmed that schools will remain closed.
“To flatten the curve once again we all need to stay home unless for essential services.”
Micheál Martin has said the Government’s proposal is to close schools until the end of the month, with a formal decision expected on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, HSE chief Paul Reid warned the Republic’s health service is now “under real threat” from the impact of rising hospital admissions.
Our Health Sevice is under real threat now. We're heading to the peak of hospitlaisations as in the 1st Wave. Primary & GP services are under relentless strain. Swabbing centres have positivity rates from 40 to 55%. Please reduce transmission, stay home and #StaySafe @HSELive
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) January 5, 2021
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Hospitalisations are close to the peak of what was seen during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April, while the positivity rate from testing is reaching a new high of between 40 per cent and 55 per cent.
On Tuesday afternoon, there were 840 people in hospital with the virus, with 76 people in intensive care.
More than one hundred admissions have been seen in the last 24 hours, after Mr Reid warned on Monday that the number of people in hospital could hit 2,500 this month on the country’s current trajectory.
Dr Holohan has said that there will be a sharp increase in the number of Covid-19 deaths in January, with the increase lagging behind the surge in new cases and hospitalisations.
He warned that current transmission levels put “too many people in funeral homes”.
On Tuesday, the first vaccines to protect against Covid-19 were issued to residents in nursing homes.
A 95-year-old great-grandmother, who survived Covid-19 but lost her husband to the virus, was the first nursing home resident to receive the vaccine in Ireland.
Maura Bryne received the Pfizer vaccine in Hollybrook Lodge at St James’s Hospital’s residential care unit in Dublin.
With the roll-out to care homes first expected to begin on Monday but delayed due to issues with consent forms, the chief of Nursing Homes Ireland has said there can be no further room for slippages or delays.
