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1582 in hospital.
146 in ICU.
146 in ICU.
Confirmed cases per day “has begun to stabilise” says Philip Nolan.
Holohan: We are seeing the first glimmer of hope in respect of our daily case figures and positive rates - but the situation in hospitals and ICUs continues to worsen day to day.
Almost a quarter of all people to have been hospitalised in Ireland with #COVID19 have been hospitalised since December 20th.
Holohan: hospitalisations happen some weeks after a confirmed case is notified, and mortality after that again. Unfortunately, we are set for. A period of time where the situation in hospitals gets worse before it gets better.
Nolan: We are seeing cases per day, and numbers in hospital, that we just could not have comprehended prior to Christmas.
Nolan: Delays in reporting have been resolved since late last week.
More than 40% of positive cases in the past 7 days can be traced back to the UK variant.#COVID19 @VirginMediaNews
County by county breakdown..
Hospital numbers to increase over the next fortnight before there is stabilisation says Nolan.
Scenario models now:
2200-2500 on hospitals and 200-400 in ICU by mid-January “if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence.”
2200-2500 on hospitals and 200-400 in ICU by mid-January “if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence.”
Dr Michael Power: 76 people are on ventilators (about 50% of COVID ICU patients).
New Dept of Health Sec Gen Robert Watt just entered the press conference and has sat down at the back of the room, as an aside.
Holohan produces mobility data and public sentiment data which he says shows the level of socialising over the Christmas
De Gascun: Over 45.5% for the UK variant now.
NEW
De Gascun says the UK variant will become the dominant strain here.
De Gascun says the UK variant will become the dominant strain here.
Worrying.
Nolan warns the virus will continue to evolve to get better at transmitting - that means we need to get better at staying apart until we’re vaccinated.
Nolan warns the virus will continue to evolve to get better at transmitting - that means we need to get better at staying apart until we’re vaccinated.
Holohan notes that due to reports in the media that it’s “getting more difficult to get a takeaway pint”
Asked Holohan about our position as worst in the world in 7 day incidence.
He says “We're the worst in Europe in terms of percentage deterioration and heading for one of the highest countries in terms of overall incidence."
He says “We're the worst in Europe in terms of percentage deterioration and heading for one of the highest countries in terms of overall incidence."
Asked Cillian de Gascun if his Christmas analysis that the UK variant was behind the surge was premature.
He says it was analysis on a small number of samples and a number of factors were clearly at play over Christmas.
Says the trajectory of the new strain here is same as UK.
He says it was analysis on a small number of samples and a number of factors were clearly at play over Christmas.
Says the trajectory of the new strain here is same as UK.
What will you do if there are 400 COVID patients in ICU?
We’re gonna keep going to build surge capacity... 1300 nurses have ICU training Additional to current ICU workforce.
He says these nursing colleagues are being freed up for redeployment.
We’re gonna keep going to build surge capacity... 1300 nurses have ICU training Additional to current ICU workforce.
He says these nursing colleagues are being freed up for redeployment.
“Exceeded the target of 35,000” is Karina Butler and Stephen Donnelly’s assessment of vaccination to date.
Holohan says HSE is going to publish them once a week - but understands there’s a desire to get more regular updates.
Holohan says HSE is going to publish them once a week - but understands there’s a desire to get more regular updates.
#BREAKING
“I understand there will be a shipment of the Moderna vaccine in Ireland by the end of the week” - Prof Karina Butler, NIAC.
“I understand there will be a shipment of the Moderna vaccine in Ireland by the end of the week” - Prof Karina Butler, NIAC.
“No evidence” that UK variant makes people more sick.
De Gascun makes the point that if you’re asking would you rather a more transmissible or more potent virus - the more transmissible is more troublesome to the health service by sheer weight of numbers.
