The government should consider relaxing restrictions in the coming weeks for areas with a low 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19, like Kilkenny.
That’s according to Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Harkin.
It’s as three local electoral areas have Covid-19 incidence rates three times the national average according to the latest data for the fortnight to last Monday when the country’s rate was 148 per 100,000 people.
Tullamore is the highest in the country, at 484 per 100,000 people, closely followed by Dublin’s north inner city and Longford LEA.
Across our seven electoral areas Tullow has the highest rate of 171.6 followed by Bagenalstown (134.4), Piltown (121.8), Castlecomer (59.4), Callan Thomastown (47.3) and Carlow Town (35.3) with Kilkenny City the lowest at 24.2.
Overall, Kilkenny’s been in the bottom three counties in the country, while Carlow’s in the higher ten.
Deputy Harkin says we should look at a county by county restriction easing.
Latest Figures
NPHET say there’s been a clear increase in people going to workplaces.
The number of close contacts was over two per adult from January but rose to a peak of 2.7 in early March.
It comes as no additional deaths were reported last evening, but 582 new cases of covid 19 were confirmed, nine in Carlow and up to four more in Kilkenny.
The number of Covid-19 patients in public hospitals dropped to 334 last night, while there are 83 in intensive care.
One of these is in the unit at St Luke’s General for Carlow and Kilkenny, among six with the virus there while three are in critical care at University Hospital Waterford with 15 others battling the disease on other wards.
Just two more there are suspected cases while neither facility had an admission.
Professor Nolan says more people are going into work.
Vaccine
Health officials are due to give an update on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Ireland later today.
It comes after the European Medicines Agency expressed confidence in it.
Its use had been suspended in several countries over blood clot fears.
But the EMA yesterday found the injection is ‘safe and effective.’
Dr Ronan Glynn says he’s hopeful the suspension will not have damaged confidence in the vaccine.
While Ireland South MEP Grace O’Sullivan’s welcoming the all-clear for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
She’s looking forward to the Government resuming the use of the injection:
Study
Researchers say adults living with children were only slightly more at risk of getting Covid-19 than those who lived without them.
During the second wave of the pandemic, they found a ‘small’ increased risk of infection and hospital admission for people over 65 who lived with young people.
But it didn’t lead to an increased risk of death.
In the UK
A new study from the UK is warning vaccinating the population alone is unlikely to achieve herd immunity and fully contain Covid-19.
Researchers say in order to reduce the peak of future waves, there needs to be a gradual easing of restrictions over a period of ‘many months.’
Meanwhile, a doctor’s union in the UK is warning overworked staff must be allowed to rest and recover so they can keep patients safe.
In a new report, the British Medical Association argues the pandemic’s left the health service “running on empty” with staff “burnt out.”
The BMA’s urging the government to expand the workforce and provide additional resources to help tackle the backlog the pandemic’s created.
In the US
The White House says the US will hit its target of administering 100-million Covid-19 vaccinations weeks ahead of schedule.
The country’s on track to have enough vaccines to cover the entire adult population just 10 weeks from now.
President Joe Biden says America is now in a position to help supply Canada and Mexico with millions of injections.
