Coronavirus: Hospital numbers surge to nearly 500 as Level 5 lockdown comes into effect irishtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from irishtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ministers are set to consider a full level five lockdown when they meet today.
The unscheduled Cabinet meeting is taking place this afternoon due to the soaring rates of coronavirus in Ireland.
An announcement on the Government s decision is expected later today.
1,546 new cases
were confirmed yesterday - the highest daily rate since the pandemic began.
Hospitalisations are also continuing to climb, with 454 COVID-19 patients in hospitals this morning - with 59 admissions in the last 24 hours.
A phased introduction of level five measures is currently underway - although non-essential retail and gyms are currently allowed remain open.
However, NPHET has recommended the introduction of full level five lockdown measures.
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It s now nearly a year since many people have been working from home either all or most of the time.
This has caused disruption to many people s typical routine, and
led to concerns around people s physical and mental health.
Professionals are also highlighting potential back and neck problems resulting from people s sedentary lifestyles while remote working.
Derek Cawley, a consultant spinal surgeon, told
Late Breakfast with Mark Cagney that he and his colleagues have seen a trend since the pandemic began.
He said: I asked how many had seen an increased incident of presentations of people with back pain and neck pains - certainly over 50% of the physiotherapists overall, with an [even] higher number among those in community or private practice.
Updated: 28 Dec 2020, 16:13
THE supply and availability of the Covid-19 vaccine will be the biggest cause of delays in Ireland s rollout, an immunology expert said.
Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, Kingston Mills, said Pfizer do not have enough of the jab to go around, and are cranking up manufacturing to meets countries needs.
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Vaccines are beginning to be administered across the EU, including to this WWII veteran in Czech RepublicCredit: EPA
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Prof Mills says Pfizer does not have enough doses for all the countries interested currentlyCredit: Virgin Media
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The immunology expert said supply will be Ireland s biggest challenge in it s Covid jab roll-outCredit: Alamy
On
Late Breakfast with Mark Cagney this morning, Professor MacCraith said four hospitals around the country will administer the vaccine to around 2,000 people in the coming days before it is rolled out to nursing homes early next week.
He said around 40,000 doses will be arriving in Ireland every week in January and February and the programme will be ramped up “very quickly over the coming weeks.”
“We won’t be holding vaccines back,” he said. “We will not be allowing vaccine to build up in our freezers, we will use them as quickly as we can get them.
“Looking at this over the monthly periods, we will ramp up very quickly to use all the vaccines as they become available.”