US detects first case of UK coronavirus variant in Colorado
The case was confirmed in a man in his 20s who had no close contacts. By AFP Wednesday 30 Dec 2020, 7:32 AM Dec 30th 2020, 7:32 AM 9,778 Views 8 Comments
Card queuing at a rapid Covid-19 testing site in the US last month.
Image: SIPA USA/PA Images
Card queuing at a rapid Covid-19 testing site in the US last month.
Image: SIPA USA/PA Images
THE US STATE of Colorado has recorded what is reportedly the United States’ first case of the new coronavirus variant that was first identified in the UK in recent months.
Updated: 29 Dec 2020, 11:53
CONFIRMED Covid-19 patients in Irish hospitals have rocketed to 409 - their highest peak since May.
The number of patients being treated for the virus in hospital has also doubled in two weeks, rising from 198 on December 15, according to HSE s Covid-19 Data Hub.
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ICU figures as of last nightCredit: HSE
The data hub - accurate to 8am this morning - also shows that there have been 36 admissions to hospital in the last 24 hours, along with 14 discharges.
According to the HSE s daily operations update, as of yesterday at 8pm, the acute hospital site with the most Covid-19 patients is Beaumont with 67.
Health Correspondent
In a normal year in health, there are usually some constants, such as hospital overcrowding, long waiting lists and major funding pressures.
In 2020, these issues did not disappear, but they were pushed down the agenda, as coronavirus dominated events, and occupied much of the time for health staff and officials.
So it makes for 2020 being an outlier year, when making comparisons with other periods in the health service.
It seems a long time ago now, but 6 January saw a record for hospital overcrowding, with 760 patients waiting, according to the figures collected by the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation.
Hospital overcrowding has not been solved and remains a big issue to eliminate.
Covid-19: Case for saying that restrictions that are in place, should stay in place
Mr Varadkar said that “there is a case for saying that restrictions that are in place, should stay in place”
People shopping on Patrick Street in Cork City. File picture: Denis Scannell
Mon, 28 Dec, 2020 - 14:11
Steve Neville and Vivienne Clarke
Any public health restrictions put in place now could remain in place for “quite some time”, the Tánaiste has said.
Speaking to Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1, Leo Varadkar said that restrictions are due to be looked at on January 12, but he did not see them easing by then.
The Department of Health has today been notified of 744 new cases of Covid-19 and four additional deaths.
Of today’s cases, 388 were men, 354 were women. 64 per cent were under the age of 45, with the median age of today’s cases being 34-years-old.
There were 246 cases recorded in Dublin, 131 in Cork, 51 in Limerick, 40 in Wexford and 33 in Donegal. The remaining 243 cases are spread across 19 other counties with 17 in Waterford.
As of 8am this morning, there were 324 patients being treated in hospital with Covid-19, 26 of whom were in Intensive Care Units.
Commenting on today’s figures, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “There have been further increases across key indicators of Covid-19 right across the country and the growth rate of the epidemic has accelerated in recent days.”