Ireland Adds Curbs as Virus Threatens to Run Out of Control
Jan 07 2021, 1:38 AM
January 06 2021, 10:05 PM
January 07 2021, 1:38 AM
(Bloomberg) Ireland tightened restrictions in a bid to contain its worst virus outbreak yet, adding extra curbs to whatâs already one of Western Europeâs strictest lockdowns as new infections hit a record.
(Bloomberg) Ireland tightened restrictions in a bid to contain its worst virus outbreak yet, adding extra curbs to whatâs already one of Western Europeâs strictest lockdowns as new infections hit a record.
The government will keep most students out of schools until at least the end of the month, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in Dublin on Wednesday. Most construction will also halt, and click-and-collect services from non-essential stores will end.
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DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland announced its strictest lockdown measures since early last year on Wednesday as a “tsunami” of infections caused by a new COVID-19 variant pushed hospitalisations to a record high and sparked fears the healthcare system could be overwhelmed.
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Ireland’s 14-day infection rate has quadrupled in the past 10 days to 819 cases per 100,000, fueled by a new more transmissible COVID-19 variant first identified in Britain and the relaxation of restrictions ahead of Christmas.
Officials reported a record high of 7,836 cases on Wednesday.
“Already exhausted healthcare workers now face a tsunami of infection even greater than the first wave,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin told a news conference announcing the new measures.
| UPDATED: 18:02, Fri, Jan 1, 2021
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