Carlow and Kilkenny among country’s top four counties for the highest Covid19 14-day incidence rates
While staff at St Luke's Hospital are among those out of work due to outbreaks
Carlow and Kilkenny are in the country’s top four counties for the 14-day incidence rate of Coronavirus.
It’s as 26 new cases were confirmed last evening across the two counties.
Kilkenny’s extra 15 keeps it in second place with a rate of 175.3 while Carlow’s now fourth on a rate of 135.2 after a further 11 positive tests. Both greatly above the nation’s figure of 79 per 100,000.
There are no up to date figures for patients with the virus in hospitals as of yet.
However, just under 300 staff are currently off work due to Covid 19 outbreaks at a number of hospitals.
129 are out in Letterkenny University Hospital while St Luke’s in Kilkenny, University Hospital Waterford, Naas General Hospital and Tallaght Hospital are also affected.
Vaccines
The government is expected to receive a report today on how Covid-19 vaccines will be rolled out in Ireland once they’re approved.
A high-level task force is due to complete its work on the logistics of how doses would be distributed.
The cabinet’s already decided nursing home residents, frontline healthcare workers, and over seventies will be first in line.
European regulators are due to decide whether to approve the Pfizer jab by December 29th.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan says despite recent progress in tackling Covid19, people shouldn’t drop their guard with a vaccine not far away.
Elsewhere
France is going to introduce a night-time curfew and delay the reopening of cultural venues because Covid19 rates are still too high.
The French Prime Minister says the number of cases hasn’t dropped enough since a national lockdown was imposed in October.
A stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on Tuesday – but people will be told to stay inside between 8pm and 6am.
