People will have to avoid crowded areas for at least the next six months according to the Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
No new deaths were reported last night, the first time that’s happened since December 21st, while 821 new cases were detected, four each at most in both Carlow and Kilkenny.
In public hospitals overnight there were 849 people with the virus, which is below the peak of the first wave for the first time since early January, with 158 in intensive care units.
Of these three were in the ICU at St Luke’s General for Carlow and Kilkenny, among 15 being treated there for the virus with two further suspected cases.
While University HOspital Waterford’s looking after 50 people with the virus after three new admissions, five are in critical care with four more showing symptoms.
Dr Ronan Glynn says some significant restrictions will have to remain in place for the foreseeable future to continue to drive down cases.
He adds that the prospect of allowing people who are vaccinated to re-engage with society is under ‘active review’ and says it’ll still be a few weeks at least.
Vaccination Centres
Concerns are being raised about the number of Covid-19 vaccination centres to be set up in rural areas.
37 will be set up nationally, with at least one in each county. Yesterday KCLR confirmed that locally these will be at Cillín Hill in Kilkenny and Carlow Town’s Seven Oaks Hotel.
They will be used to give Covid jabs to healthy people in the general population as the over 70s and people who are vulnerable due to medical conditions are due to get their vaccines from their local GP practices.
The over 85s will start to get their shots locally starting tomorrow after the rollout got underway in some of the bigger practices around the country yesterday.
Kilkenny GP Tadhg Crowley says the mass vaccination centres won’t be opening until we’re ready to start giving out the jab to the rest of the population – which won’t be for a while yet.
He adds that it still hasn’t been decided when the mass vaccination centres will open or who’ll be administering the jabs when they do.
In the UK
Health inspectors have issued a warning to a British hospital after they found staff didn’t always wash their hands between patients.
The Care Quality Commission also found workers at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital didn’t wear appropriate PPE.
The report said the service “did not always control infection risk well”.
Meanwhile, around 70 people have been fined around 230 euro each after an illegal nightclub was raided by police in the UK.
The DJ at the event in Birmingham could face a 10-thousand pound penalty after 150 people were found across two floors.
Police also discovered a workshop nearby that had been turned into a bar.
The makeshift pub was complete with a sign saying “The Covid Arms”.
In New Zealand
The New Zealand Prime Minister says the decision to impose a fresh three-day lockdown was correct, as three cases of the UK variant have been detected there.
It’s the third time Auckland has been placed under strict restrictions, while the rest of the country has less tight measures.
The lockdown is due to run until Wednesday, however it is unclear whether it will be extended.
