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22nd Dec 2020

13 more people with Covid-19 have died, 970 new cases

Alan Loughnane

NPHET meeting

Dr Tony Holohan said the current trajectory of the disease in the community is of “grave concern”.

13 more people with Covid-19 have died in Ireland, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has reported.

The HPSC has also been notified of an additional 970 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

348 of the cases are in Dublin, 60 in Limerick, 59 in Cork, 59 in Wexford, 55 in Louth and the remaining 389 cases are spread across 20 other counties.

As of 2pm on Tuesday, 238 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 28 are in ICU.

There have been 23 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “The current trajectory of the disease in the community is of grave concern.

In the last seven days to midnight Monday, we have reported 4,478 cases, an increase of more than 110% over the preceding week. In the last 5 days, we have seen extraordinary growth in the incidence of the virus across the country, significantly increasing the level of risk associated with the kind of inter-generational mixing that is normally experienced over the Christmas holidays.

“To protect ourselves, our families and our vulnerable loved ones in particular, further economic and social restrictions will begin to be introduced from Christmas Eve. It is up to each one of us to rethink our plans for this Christmas period, especially when it comes to visiting older or more medically vulnerable family members and friends.

“With the authorisation of the first Covid-19 vaccine by the European Commission yesterday, our national vaccine programme can begin in the very near future and this gives us cause for hope.

“However, widespread vaccination of the population will take time, so we need to continue to adhere to the public health advice on hand washing, keeping 2m distance, wearing face coverings where appropriate, covering our coughs and reducing our social contacts for the duration of the Level 5 restrictions. By working together we can reduce the spread of Covid-19 and safeguard our schools and our hospitals.”

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