NPHET will discuss the country’s record number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations when it meets this morning.
There are now 954 people in hospital with the virus and 7,836 cases were confirmed yesterday – with both figures the highest since the pandemic began.
171 of yesterday’s cases were local- with 85 in Kilkenny and 86 in Carlow.
The chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, says the country is likely to see an increasing number of deaths and ICU admissions in the coming days and weeks.
And Dr Gerald Barry, a virologist in UCD, says the situation will get worse before it gets better;
“It’s incredibly worrying, and going forward I think we really have to hope for the best. We’re in a situation now where we can’t change the path that we’re on. The damage was done over Christmas and now we’re seeing the consequences of that, unfortunately. Numbers are probably going to rise in hospitals for a short period in the future until hopefully it will level off as case numbers start to come down.”
