Ireland clearly in the grip of third wave COVID-19 – Health chiefs

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland is in the throes of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rapid acceleration in the growth of cases is of great concern, senior health officials said on Monday.

Ireland has the lowest COVID-19 incidence rate in the European Union after moving in early October to temporarily close shops, bars and restaurants. Unlike much of Europe, they were widely reopened in December.

However, cases have grown rapidly in recent days with more than 700 daily cases reported each day for the first time since late October, nearly doubling the five-day average to 616 in just four days.

“This is clearly a rapidly increasing incidence in what is now a third wave that is happening much, much sooner after the last,” Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said at a press conference.

“It’s really important that people stay at home. The situation has changed and is evolving very, very rapidly. “

Ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss the new constraints. Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday restaurants and pubs would likely be closed before New Years Eve and household mixing would be limited. National broadcaster RTE reported on Monday that this could be postponed until Christmas Eve.

The head of the COVID-19 modeling group in Ireland, Philip Nolan, said the number of cases was increasing by at least 5-7% per day and, “of particular concern, in all age groups”.

The number of people infected in Ireland by someone with COVID-19 – the so-called reproduction number – could thus reach 1.5 to 1.6, he added.

The discovery of a new, highly infectious strain of the virus in Britain has forced many countries, including Ireland, to close their borders with Britain.

Officials said the variant had not been detected in Ireland but could not rule out the possibility that it was already in the country given the close travel links with its nearest neighbor, including the return of thousands. Irish living in Britain for the Christmas holidays in These last days.