Updated / Friday, 15 Jan 2021
06:23 what we are seeing in this wave is different to what we have seen since springtime, and perhaps worse, Prof Philip Nolan said
Almost half of all the cases of Covid-19 reported by the Department of Health have been reported in the last two weeks.
Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Professor Philip Nolan said 44% of all cases were reported in the last fortnight, with one in every 67 people being told they are positive for Covid-19 in that period.
It comes as the Department of Health has reported another 28 Covid-related deaths and 3,955 more cases of the coronavirus.
Close contact health workers called back to work
Updated / Wednesday, 13 Jan 2021
20:34
Pressure on the hospital system continues to increase
Health workers who are deemed close contacts of a positive Covid-19 case but who have received a negative test have been called back to work in the health service.
Health Service Executive Chief Operations Officer Anne O Connor said these close contacts were being monitored while at work by occupational health experts and having their temperature checked twice a day.
She said the decision was made due to the shortage of healthcare workers.
It comes as pressure on the acute hospital system from Covid-19 continues to increase, with 172 patients now in intensive care.
); It won t be easy to control : How two new Covid-19 variants could wreak havoc on Ireland s virus response
The UK and South African variants have been recently confirmed in Ireland. By Stephen McDermott Sunday 10 Jan 2021, 12:05 AM Jan 10th 2021, 12:05 AM 94,410 Views 69 Comments
A hospital worker cleans a surface (file photo)
Image: PA Images
Image: PA Images
TWO NEW VARIANTS of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, are spreading in Ireland.
One strain, known as B117, was confirmed Ireland on Christmas Day and has occurred in several countries since it was first identified in the UK last month.
Another strain, 501.V2, was detected in South Africa in October, is also causing concern after spreading to European countries including Britain and France. Three cases of this variant were confirmed in Ireland b