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PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS this evening confirmed a further 592 cases of Covid-19 and 10 additional deaths in Ireland.
This evening’s figures mean that there has now been a total of 225,179 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, along with 4,509 deaths.
The deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn led tonight’s NPHET briefing, alongside the chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Professor Philip Nolan, HSE Clinical Lead for Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Professor Martin Cormican and Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) Professor Karina Butler.
Here’s what was discussed at this evening’s briefing.
There was a significant tone of warning at this evening’s briefing, with health officials saying they are concerned by the data around mobility among the population at the moment.
Professor Philip Nolan said: “If there has been any slippage in terms of adherence to public health advice, collectively, we need to pull back from that brink.”
“We are sailing very close to the wind here. We have been just below, in real terms, a reproduction number of one for some weeks now.
“And the last couple of days just emphasise to me [that] a gust of wind in the wrong direction, and we’re in real trouble.”
He said the daily case numbers are “not where we want them to be” this week.
“That’s happened before, and we may be coming back next week and saying it’s not an issue.
“But right now I’m concerned when you see that, along with an increase in mobility and an increase in appearance in levels of attendance at workplaces that we have to say any deviation right now from stay at home, work from home and be very careful when you have to leave the home, puts the achievements of the last six or eight weeks at risk.”
He said the country is maintaining suppression of the disease, but it’s “very precarious”.
He said it’s difficult to estimate the R-number, so the “epidemic could be stable or declining, we’re really not quite sure”.
The R-number estimate given tonight was 0.6 to 1.0.
The deputy CMO Dr Glynn said: “People will get vaccinated over the next two months and will be protected from this disease, and will not die as a result of getting that protection.
“It would be a real shame over the coming weeks and months if we let this disease get out of control, and people who would otherwise get that protection, and go on to live healthy, happy, long lives might otherwise not get to do that because this disease gets out of control once more. We simply can’t let that happen when we’re so close to protecting the majority of the population through vaccination.”
Dr Glynn added that the country “simply can’t afford to deteriorate at the moment”.
“We’re looking at two to three months where we’ve got to stick with this, barring unforeseen events, and there could be unforeseen events and there is uncertainty.
“But there’s a very reasonable expectation that we will have a good summer and that there’s much brighter days ahead. But now is not the moment to take the foot off the brake.”
'We shouldn't read too much into each day's case count,' Professor Philip Nolan has said, but he added that there is concern about the overall pattern of the disease at present | Follow live updates: https://t.co/X4DTTt30Oj pic.twitter.com/N97auRuQcf
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 11, 2021
Professor Karina Butler said NIAC has been looking at changing the recommendation around the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“In light of the data that’s come out from the UK particularly showing the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and how it has had impact there as well,” she said.
Dr Glynn added: “Professor Butler has provided advice to myself but I just need to look at that advice and discuss it with the minister, so there will be updated recommendations around the use AstraZeneca coming hopefully in the next couple of days but we’re not at liberty to say more than that this evening until I’ve had a chance to discuss it with the minister [Stephen Donnelly].”
The EMA announced earlier this week it was “reviewing thromboembolic events reported in temporal association with” the AstraZeneca vaccine after reports of cases in Austria.
It said a preliminary probe showed that a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines used in Austria was likely not to blame for the death of a nurse who received a jab.
The EMA said earlier today that there appeared to be no higher risk of blood clots in those vaccinated against Covid-19, after Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspended use of this vaccine.
Professor Butler said this news was concerning, but it was “very reassuring” to hear the EMA review today.
She said the EMA has “taken this very seriously in terms of making sure that they give it their full assessment and review will be ongoing this week”
She added that Ireland’s Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is aligned with the EMA in continuing to use the AstraZeneca vaccine.
As of this week, there are six outbreaks in schools in total with fewer than ten cases linked to these, Professor Nolan said.
He added: “A minority in cases in children of school-going age occur in school outbreaks. The vast majority of cases in those aged five to 18 occur in the community, or in private house, extended family or community outbreaks.
“If you’re seeing 100 cases a day in people aged between 14 and 18, as they return to in-person, education, you will see more and more of those cases being picked up in schools, and you will see small outbreaks occurring in schools. So we expect that, but I think it’s important before we begin to see them, to put those outbreaks in context of how they’ve occurred in earlier parts of the pandemic,” Nolan said.
He said school outbreaks are “relatively rare”, as they have been throughout the pandemic.
Dr Glynn added that there have been no “significant issues” in schools over the past 10 days, saying this will continue to be monitored.
People in homes will be permitted these visits from later this month providing approximately 80% of residents and staff in the nursing home have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Professor Cormican said the onus is “very much on” nursing homes to allow these compassionate visits to take place.
He said the term compassionate grounds is very broad, and can encompass those who simply want to see a person they may not have seen for a long time.
He said window visits can still take place in addition to the two visits outlined in the new guidance set to take effect from 22 March.
He also said there is no limit where practicable for people approaching the end of their life, subject to what can be handled from an infection control perspective.
“I would say this is a step towards giving residents and families an opportunity to restore those meaningful contacts that are so important for them. We are hopeful that we will be able to see further progress on this in the next month,” he said.
From 22 March residents in residential care facilities where a high proportion of residents and staff have been vaccinated can have two visits a week that do not have to be limited to an hour, Professor Martin Cormican has said | Follow live updates: https://t.co/X4DTTt30Oj pic.twitter.com/miqHG0p4aq
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 11, 2021
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I think the population are exhausted tbh.
@John Quill: yup, they made a dog’s dinner of it. Hard lockdown last year. All travel into the state should have been quarantine hotels back then. Too that off opening up at Xmas to give people a free pass when everyone will move to be with family. Madness. Which their decisions have left us with this long lockdown.
Tell you what none of them dare not come to my door ever looking for a vote. Incompetence and cowardice got us here
@Tom Ripley: I remember when the air space was opened again. The post had to quarantine two weeks more. My sister posted me three facemasks that she made. The small envelope was on a shelf for near two months and after than two weeks of quarantine.
Any post sent has had to quarantine two weeks while no one had to …. because of all the drama
Since September all flight tickets sold out, from September to January. I have never seen something like this before.
There was some flights availability when the Gardaí decided to do their job and control Dublin airport. So after near one year, people with genuine essential and urgent reason for travelling could fly … of course these people are invisible for aerlingus and sun-seekers
@Tom Ripley: Some of us are still in level 5 since last March. This will go on forever unless the hypochondriac stops getting tested.
@Tom Ripley: agree 100% – they have done a pretty lousy job with the messaging and managing the narrative IMO……i would specifically like them to expand more fully on the measures that the ‘people’ have no control over but are crucial to successful management – they constantly deflect from what the authorities should be doing – and be measured doing
1. Management at ports of entry and quarantine to prevent spread – this has been a year in the making and we are nearing the end of the pandemic when they finally getting act together – tell it as it is – if NPHET were calling for this since last year how about they voice this concern ( at every briefing ) as frequently as they finger wag the public
2. Test Trace Isolate – disgracefully wound down testing as we came to end of summer and starting to hear now that the defence forces are being shifted to vaccine rollout – cant we do both effectively ? How is it most other countries have managed to balance quarantine travellers and aggressive test and trace with amazing success
3. Inject more urgency and effort into Vaccine rollout
- a few announcements this week that we had called the British and asked a few countries ( in March 2021 ) for more vaccines is to try placate us critics that think Ireland has done a pretty poor job of having a plan and executing it –
- as for their ‘data on people moving’ – i take real issue with this as well – we are a year into their poor management and intelligent adults are able to decide that taking a car journey alone to howth head for a walk is ZERO risk – more and car journeys are clearly happening but their focus on the ‘mobility data ‘ is a nice deflection from discussing the 3 pillars of a sensible strategy and weekly updates on how we are doing in those measurements – they published a living with Covid plan that was suppose to treat different parts of the country according to the level of infections but they disgracefully threw that plan away without proper explanation – we are seemingly in two tiered plan – full level 5 for everywhere or partial reopening for everywhere – what happened to Living with Covid – as far as planning and management goes this has been a very very shoddy performance and no amount of spin doctors and finger wagging media briefings can deflect from that reality.
@Gere: so according to you if someone has symptoms they shouldn’t get tested because they will be classed as a hypochondriac so will you tell someone that has the many symptoms of cancer or many symptoms of stroke not to get treatment because they are classed as a hypochondriac just because your not happy been in level five
@Gere: selfish is as selfish does
@Gere: If the hypochondriac is getting tested and gets a negative result it doesn’t contribute to a positive case number. However, if you want people being discouraged from being tested you will have the virus spread unwillingly
@Tom Ripley: and none of these family members has the cop on to know with what’s going on not to visit family I’ve have family that lives in spain malta and scotland would love to visit home but actually have the cop on not too the government can do so much but the cop on of people themselves is lacking but are very quick to blame others than themselves
@Deirdre Meredith: It is because of the covid hypochondriac that those with cancer & other ailments cannot get the care they deserve
@Deirdre Meredith: I wouldnt call myself selfish. I have followed all the rules, been closed for a year, but I would call people that keep getting tested that have no symptoms selfish. The country cannot go on like this. Businesses closed jobs lost etc, but I am sure you are ok, still getting paid, & able to go to work, so I dont think you are in any position to call me selfish.
@Deirdre Meredith: he’s talking about the many many people who are asymptomatic close contacts that test positive, ie not sick at all but are counted as ‘cases’, the lack of perspective on this whole thing is truly astounding!
@Dave Hammond: I agree that there has been mixed messaging, especially a certain former Taoiseach, still thinking he is in charge and can’t wait to announce any news before it is official. The procurement of vaccines is down to Europe and should insists that no vaccines leave Europe from AstraZeneca to other parts of the world until their quota of Vaccines are delivered. you are right that they should have done side deals before March.
they should not of allowed people to go on Ski trips to Italy back in March 2020 and quarantine any Visitors coming in. The messaging of restrict your movements was a really unclear phrase, as we all were restricting our movements, The phrase quarantine should of been used and enforced.
you may think that going to Howth in your car and going for a walk has no risk for you as you are intelligent, unfortunately your fellow humans that can’t wear a mask properly, with their nose hanging out, probably think they are intelligent too. There is always a risk in catching covid, however minute,(Car may break down, bump into a old friend there, decide to get a fish and chips, buy a bottle of water, go to fill up car with petrol more times than usual), this minute risk would be amplified by a factor equal to the number of other people who decide it was safe to go outside their 5km to Howth.
1 minute the R number doesn’t matter any more, now it’s all they’re on about.. #ClearAsMud
@Nigel o’Neill: I’ve been hearing about the r number since the beginning. Do you live in a cave or something?
@Tommy Berry: Did you read his comment? He said “.. doesn’t matter any more”. That would indicate that yes, he has also heard about the R number.
You’ve completely misunderstood his comment.
@Nigel o’Neill: Can you link to where anyone with any authority has said the R number doesn’t matter anymore ? Not saying it wasn’t said, just curious who said it and why.
@Tommy Roche: I think the point is that when it’s low it’s never mentioned but some other selective stat is introduced…like the 5 day or three day numbers, neither of which have a corresponding public report. Between .6 and 1 is a pretty big range and the inability to be more definite is reflective of Nolan’s lack of ability as a modelling expert. How does a background of university chancellor and president get you the role of head of modelling in a pandemic and international crisis. He spent most of this evening linking current numbers to the so called 2nd wave in October. The wave that passed the rest of Europe by.
We can’t afford to deteriorate but let’s send the schools back with zero additional safety measures in place. You couldn’t make it up.
@Declan Doherty: You don’t need to make anything up. It’s called a balancing act. There are a million dilemmas in play here.
@Vonvonic: How so ? They’re keeping the entire economy shut to reopen schools yet they can’t implement basic safety measures to ensure that happens with minimal impact. Maybe you can point out the balance in that because I’m not seeing it.
@Declan Doherty: the “entire” economy isn’t shut.
@Declan Doherty: do explain these basic safety measures that they are failing with
And it’s entirely of their own doing. Surely any kind of psychologist or behavioural expert would have warned that a third lockdown would only be effective for a set amount of time before people became agitated and began to move around again. They have had several weeks and months now to get this right and they just haven’t.
Taking this tone with the public when most of us are at ours wits end will not end well.
@Laura Walsh: agree 100% Laura – surprised they are taking this tone at this stage of the pandemic – the finger wagging – ‘people are moving’ stuff is nonsense – they really do not hear how fed up people are – especially with the poor execution of their responsibilities – effective quarantine , test and trace , vaccinate – we have no influence over these key parts of the plan yet they arrogantly go into media briefings to finger wag ‘the people are being bold’ nonsense – it’s kinda pathetic at this stage imo
This isn’t sustainable
@Elliottirish: It is sustainable in the eyes of those who are making decisions, who are unaffected financially.
@Darren Lambe: some difference in outlook from someone who’s WFH and someone who’s on covid payment through no fault of their own. Then there’s Paul Reid on over €420k.
Control freaks that couldn’t control a thermostat ….
I’ve never read as much management-speak in one article in my life ….
Time we ‘looked at the bigger picture’, and ‘start thinking outside the box’, ‘before we run out of road’ and ‘find ourselves in a cul-de-sac’ ….
Open up the place and stop messing about FFS …
@Martin Galvin: They’ve been well schooled in this kind of language. I’d imagine it may even have been by one particular PR company which is a favourite of government ministers.
The same PR company will be the ones who instructed them to begin every answer to a question by saying “So..”
Its just white noise at this stage.
No change and no new thinking
The lockdowns are a year old. Not every company can have all staff working from home all the time. Businesses can survive for while with staff remote from the office etc. But after a year its getting more difficult to continue with reduced productivity and creativity. They need understand this and support companies rather then contently carp at them.
So the margin of error is so thin that even with pretty much everything closed our totally inadequate track, trace and isolate, vaccine program and exhausted public health system couldn’t cope,again. It’s time for the HSE management to be put to the wall and the entire thing reformed. They have failed the country when they were needed most and they continue to scape goat an exhausted population every chance they cet. Time for a clear out, starting at the top.
So hospitality closed till??June…
Huge price to pay for a certain section of the population…And then the tax
I know the vaccines probably just aren’t there but I’m just not convinced that we’re exhausting every available possible option to get more vaccines. The longer this goes on the less and less people are going to adhere to the restrictions. The government are on borrowed time and they’re just not getting it.
Shambles
The governments of the world can’t keep economies open and the world moving because of a virus with a 98-99% survival rate. Yet they tell us if we pay a little more tax, they will save the planet. Give me a fu@#ing break. The only way to end the oppressive lockdowns, of which none of them have suffered financially from, is when we the people say enough is enough.
Deteriorate? They have already sucked the life out of this country. It is so sad. Please cut out the condescending and patronizing shot Just tell us how many people are fully vaccinated. And when x people/groups are vaccinated what y restrictions will be opened/relaxed.
I am not even listening to NPHET anymore. Just trying to live my life as much as is possible. This nonsense will only end when we stop buying the line that lockdown is the only way.
“Is your joyrney essential?” Yes Guarda for my own sanity and more importantly my mental health.”You know you can be fined?” I do,and im telling you i wont pay it and i will argue my reason why in court. “Drive on”
@Dave: really how long more do they think they can keep us in lockdown no company especially if you live on your own no seeing family or social life no non essential shops open. Same thing every day. Now Dr Glynn is saying hang on in there for another few months. Not allowed to leave our own country or maybe even have a staycation this year. They seem to have a total disregard for how people are suffering and their mental health. It is unbearable.
Makes no difference what we do. Majority of most at risk vaccinated, no easing of restrictions anytime soon. Adherence will go south and who could blame us
Covid
I’ve just heard about a virus that has resulted in controlling the movements and social interaction of almost the entire world population.
It’s ridiculous but, despite the virus causing a condition that 99.95% of people will survive, it’s very existence is going to result in governments around the World testing the obedience of the population to it’s limits.
Not only that, but simultaneously governments across the globe will rely on massive pharmaceutical companies to engineer and deploy a mass program of gene therapy technology wrapped up as a “vaccine” that will initially be referred to as a “magic bullet” but later be proven to be both unnecessary AND extremely dangerous.
The obvious question is “Why would billions of people allow themselves to be injected with such a substance?”
The answer is FEAR.
Governments around the World will embark on a round-the-clock, non-stop campaign of fear-inducing information campaigns aimed at scaring nearly 8 billion people into believing they are ALL potential serial killers if they break the rules. That they will infect and kill others if they disobey. That they MUST do as they’re told “for the safety of others”.
This information campaign will convince billions of people that THEY are personally responsible for the safety of EVERYONE else. They MUST NOT break the rules. They will kill people.
But what rules?
Initially, we’ll be told we need to stay at home for just a few weeks in order to “suppress the virus” and “flatten the curve”.
Schools will close, shops will close, as will restaurants, pubs, sports facilities, museums, cinemas etc.
In fact, ONLY shops selling absolutely “essential items” will be allowed to remain open. Small businesses will not be allowed to open. Mega businesses in the same localities will remain in operation. A global wealth transfer will take place.
Heavy fines will be imposed on any transgressors.
This initial “lockdown” will run in conjunction with a series of financial assistance schemes. Not due to any benevolence from governments but to suppress the will of citizens to complain about the imposition they are forced to endure. To stop them from getting restless. To quell their desire to rebel. To subdue them.
These lockdown measures will continue (in different forms) for nearly a year during which time legislation will be passed in order to compel the populace to wear a “face covering” in public places and to remain 6 feet apart from anyone they don’t live with. Then it will be announced at least two face coverings are required. Some countries will make it mandatory to wear face coverings a particular way.
Additionally, we will have the decision of who we allow into our own homes taken away from us.
We will be told how many people we can converse within the park, (ALL indoor and outdoor group sports will be banned except for professional sports), and how long we can “excerise” outdoors. Where we can sit. What direction we can walk. We will be quizzed on why we are outside and the purpose of it.
We will also be informed that we are personally responsible for the ability of our health services to cope during this “pandemic”. If WE step out of line the system will crumble.
And the media will go along with it. Unquestioning. Strangely compliant.
Meanwhile, we’ll be informed that the “vaccines” are on their way.
We’re told once the “vaccines” arrive we can start to get our old lives back.
“WE JUST NEED THE VACCINES”.
By now many millions of routine health procedures will have been cancelled. Millions of essential operations will have been removed from the schedules and waiting lists for hospital treatment will increase by several thousand percent.
Mental health issues will begin to overwhelm millions of individuals and families. Suicide rates will increase. People will begin unnecessarily dying from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and strokes because they were too scared to ask for help, believing they’d be a burden on health services or they were worried about catching the virus in hospital.
Hundreds of thousands of closed businesses will NEVER reopen.
And all the while we’re told “The vaccines are coming. The vaccines are coming. The vaccines are coming”.
And the vaccines arrive.
And governments start to inject all the elderly and vulnerable.
And we’re told “NOTHING has changed. The vaccines are here but nothing has changed”.
Lockdown continues. Businesses remain closed. Masks are still mandatory. You still can’t even THINK about getting your previous life back until EVERYONE is injected. The entire global population that is.
And just to enforce this point, new rules are imposed upon us and new penalties are introduced. Fines for “transgressors” are increased and we’re even threatened with 10 years in prison if we fail to comply. Quarantine centers move from ‘hotels’ to ‘designated facilities’.
But then we all find out that the “magic bullet” is nothing of the sort.
It doesn’t stop you from catching the virus or passing it on to others.
It only reduces SOME of the symptoms in SOME of the people SOME of the time.
And we will need TWO doses.
But it gets worse.
More “Variants” of the virus are detected. They’re given names like the “South African”, the “Brazilian” and the “Kent”.
We’re told the “vaccines” may not be effective on the new variants.
We’re told we may need THREE injections or possibly even FOUR, but these won’t be available for months.
Meanwhile, everything is still shut. There is no end in sight.
And the media still refuse to question what’s happening.
Then something happens.
All around the World, there are initial reports of people dying after receiving the “vaccine”.
In the UK the number of people dying from “covid related” conditions in care homes rises threefold in two weeks. It goes unquestioned.
Why?
Official figures are released regarding the reported numbers of adverse reactions from the “vaccines”. The statistics are worrying.
But they’re brushed aside by officials and “experts” as neither concerning or important. Nothing to do with the “vaccines”. Just a coincidence.
And the media refuse to investigate.
The lockdowns continue, unabated.
More people are “vaccinated”. More die.
More businesses fail. More people jump in front of trains.
More children suffer. More families ripped apart.
By now we’re in an endless cycle of lockdowns, restrictions, rules, fines, arrests, hope then despair, then no hope. Just the realisation that this will NEVER end.
But it’s OK. It REALLY is OK.
Because the vaccines have arrived. And that was the reason for all of this from the start.
It could never actually happen.
Never.
@Alan Gee: Nail on the head. Its time for all TDs to be made redundant as they’re not running the country any more, NPHET are.
The Glynn reaper….trives on bad news
The M50 this afternoon was near back to normal.
The next exit is 5 km away……
Well tbh at this stage I thought things would be good but guess not we whinge about lockdown we protest against lockdown we whinge about water charges we protested about water charges we whinge about mental health can’t remember seeing a protest about that we whinge about children’s special needs how their mental health is affected but where are the masses of people to me it’s only the parents of these children protesting we whinge about health care in this country where is the mass protest but what really got me was when something happened in another country with that had nothing to do with us thousand took to the streets
Too late. The consequence of yesterday’s Leo informal comment has been flights would out … six weeks ahead of the schedule ! and it is the third time.
These holiday makers understand of the medical stuff is shocking, sure they would schedule a C-section six weeks ahead of due date because the pregnancy is going well … premature baby … who cares
@Maria Quinn: flights sold out*
@Maria Quinn: …what?
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