Thurles Information

There have been 2,399 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed by the Department of Health in the last 24 hours here in the Republic of Ireland. Same number is the highest daily total reached since January 2021.

There are 473 people with Covid-19 in our hospitals, same number down 11 on yesterday’s reported figures. Of these patients, 74 are being treated in intensive care units, up 1 on yesterday.

With about 7% of the adult population currently unvaccinated, same is placing a huge amount of pressure on the hospital system, with 2 in every 3 patients, in ICU’s, found to be completely unvaccinated.

The National Public Health Emergency team has informed the Government that should the latest lock-down changes, not have a sufficient effect on the current Covid-19 profile, the re-imposition of public health restriction measures may well again be fully warranted.

Their advice further states that return to the workplace should continue to be phased and cautious, with NPHET continuing to recommend that all who can work from home should continue to do so.

NPHET has reiterated its advice that with the Delta variant being so highly transmissible, it is most unlikely that our high vaccination rate alone, achieved here todate in Ireland, will not bring the effective reproduction number below 1, thus allowing Ireland to achieve suppression of the disease.

In Northern Ireland a further 1,367 cases of the virus have also been notified by their Department of Health, up from 1,091 yesterday.

The latest northern hospital figures indicate that there are 366 patients with Covid-19 in their hospitals, up from 347 patients yesterday.

Sadly, 8 more coronavirus-related deaths have been reported today in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile in Britain, where Covid-19 cases remain stubbornly high, the British government has confirmed it is monitoring a sub-variant of the current Delta virus strain, which has been identified in a growing number of their identified cases.

University Hospital Limerick, the medical facility serving North Tipperary, have confirmed some 52 Covid-19 positive patients, and of these, 6 patients are receiving critical care.

In Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel; they also are currently experiencing an increase in the number of patients presenting with the virus.

Both hospitals state that all appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the future risk of spreading infection among staff and patients.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) have given the go-ahead for Covid-19 booster vaccinations to be administered to people over the age of 60. This rollout of an additional vaccinations will form a key part of the Government’s reopening strategy, ahead of expected further easing of Covid restrictions later this week.

In a letter to the Irish Government, Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has advised that face masks and social distancing measures should remain in place until at least February 2022. Mr Holohan has warned that Ireland’s situation is currently uncertain and precarious.

It is now expected that the Government will now go ahead with the loosening of some restrictions, while Covid passes are likely to remain in place for customers wishing to access indoor hospitality.

While PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests are the most highly specific virus test that can be done, if you are symptomatic; positive moves are also expected to be made in relation to the use of antigen testing.

Meanwhile, Pfizer/BioNTech has submitted data to the European Union’s medicines regulator seeking the approval of its coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years.

Choosing to get vaccinated is an act of protection for yourself, as it may save your life; but it is also an act of solidarity with others; the more of us that get vaccinated, the safer we all will be.