‘Deeply worrying Cabinet briefing means we may have to go to full Level 5 in days’
MINISTERS have said they fear that the country may have to move to ‘full Level 5’ restrictions due to the continued spread of Covid-19.
The Cabinet met 24 hours earlier than originally scheduled at Government Buildings yesterday as ministers were updated on both the Brexit situation and the Covid-19 crisis.
A minister present at the meeting described the briefings from Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly as ‘deeply worrying’.
‘I would believe we could be facing full Level 5 in the coming days when I interpret the information we were given at Cabinet, along with the discussions I have had with public health doctors,’ one minister told the Irish Daily Mail.
‘That would mean a closure of non-essential retail and we would have to consider the reimposition of the 5km travel limit.’
There are complications around the reimposition of the 5km ban – as it would mean the reimposition of an eviction ban also, said senior Government sources.
‘ However, all restrictions are being considered, the matter is very serious,’ they said.
Ministers were told yesterday that the new strain of Covid that appears to have originated in south
‘Figures expected to be very high’
east England i s expected to increase the Covid R (reproduction) number by 0.9. ‘That would mean that the virus spreads more rapidly through the population and we will have to move to slow it,’ said a Government source.
Another minister also found the Cabinet briefing ‘very concerning’.
‘We will have to do something, as the figures are expected to be very high next week,’ said the minister.
Ministers also agreed that a significant ‘ramping up’ of the vaccine roll-out was needed.
One said they believed the major challenge was ‘vaccine supply’ and they believe that this will be addressed in the coming weeks.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar also threw cold water on hopes that Ireland will be out of Level 5 restrictions by mid- January.
Last week, the Government announced it was reintroducing Level 5 restrictions in response to rapidly increasing case numbers, with a review of those restrictions to take place on January 12.
However, Mr Varadkar envisions the new guidelines will likely be in place for months – until the most at-risk people are vaccinated.
The ominous soundings from Government came as NPHET yesterday reported one further death of a person infected with Covid and an additional 765 Covid cases.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland, Mr Varadkar said it is expected that cases would rise early in the new year and then ‘hopefully’ fall off.
‘The Level 5 restrictions are really only coming into effect over the next couple of days,’ he said.
‘We know that won’t be reflected in a fall in case numbers until the first or second week in January.
‘No matter what is done, we would expect to see cases rise until the new year. Given that the restrictions are only coming in now, I don’t think we would start to see numbers fall until the first or second week in January, therefore they would not have fallen enough by January 12,’ he said.
Mr Varadkar added that any plans to lift the restrictions would have to take into consideration all the consequences.
‘I think that with the vaccine now being available, I think there would be a case of saying to the Irish people that we should keep these restrictions in place until such a time that we have protected our healthcare workers and most vulnerable,’ he said. ‘But that also needs to be reflected in the kind of restrictions that we put in place because they need to be sustainable for a prolonged period if they’re not just for three or four weeks.’
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has expressed concern at the continued rise of coronavirus case numbers and hospitalisations. There were 359 Covid19 positive patients in hospital yesterday, of which 30 were in intensive care.
Dr Holohan expressed his concern about a rise in hospitalisations. ‘Today we are reporting that we have now exceeded t he cumulative number of people hospitalised in this third wave than in the second. Hospitalisations have increased sharply in the last two days,’ he said. ‘This is a concerning trend which reflects the sharp i ncrease i ncidence we saw in the last ten days.’
86,894 Total confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland to date.
765 Additional cases yesterday.
1 Further death. 2,205 Total Covid-19related deaths in Ireland to date.
359 Patients hospitalised yesterday, of which 30 were in ICU.
41 Additional hospitalisations in the previous 24 hours, with five additional admissions to ICU.
‘Hospitalisations have risen sharply’