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Coronavirus: 14,096 new cases and 1,081 patients in hospital, including 44 in ICU

As of 8am today, there are 1,081 Covid-19 patients in hospital.

A FURTHER 14,096 positive antigen and PCR test results have been reported by public health officials. 

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 5,452 PCR-confirmed Covid cases. 8,644 people also registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal. 

As of 8am today, 1,081 patients are in hospital with Covid-19. 44 of these are in intensive care.

The HSE emphasised earlier that hospitals and nursing homes are still facing major Covid-19 pressures ahead of a busy St Patrick’s Day weekend. 

St Patrick’s Day celebrations have been impacted by Covid-19 over the past two years but many major events are planned for 2022 as almost all pandemic restrictions have been lifted. 

But health officials today warned that doctors and nurses are facing extraordinary challenges at hospitals around the country. 

HSE CEO Paul Reid has warned that Covid-19 has not gone away and urged people to follow public health advice, as new data points to a healthcare system coping with “extreme” demands.

He urged people to “get back to basics” on mask-wearing and to get vaccinated and boosted.

Covid-19, he said, is “still highly transmissible in our communities at the moment”.

“It is a double weekend for us, at a time when our system is under huge pressure,” HSE chief operations officer Anne O’Connor warned.

The next reporting of the Covid-19 case numbers will be next Monday 21 March, the HSE said, in light of the bank holiday weekend.

However, Professor Philip Nolan said today that the current spike in cases is nothing to be worried about.

Speaking in Washington, Nolan said: “We are seeing higher numbers of infections, but what we’re also seeing is the impact of vaccinations in that even though we are seeing large numbers of infections and the virus transmitting as sort of an exit wave of the pandemic, if I can put it that way, it’s not translating into serious harm, it’s not translating into people in intensive care requiring ventilation in anything like it did in the previous waves.”

“To a certain extent, this is expected and the important thing to watch here is the level of serious illness or harm. There’s nothing in the data at the moment to suggest anything other than the situation is actually improving.”

Nolan said NPHET still strongly advises people to still use basic measures like mask wearing on public transport, especially those who are vulnerable. 

“We really need to encourage people who haven’t been boosted to be boosted. That’s going to offer them really significant additional protections,” he said. 

Speaking in Washington, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “In respect of hospitals, my understanding is that quite a number of those, about 50%, are people who have arrived into hospital for other ailments but are diagnosed with Covid once inside.

“So that really is more on the hospitals organisation and configuration… because of isolation. It’s real pressure on our hospitals.”

Martin said the numbers in ICU are not rising as we speak and that he has been in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer and the Minister for Health, adding that the situation will be kept “under watch and review”.

“I’ve always been of the view and the chief medical officer has advised that we should wear masks where appropriate, particular in retail and public transport and in large indoor gatherings,” he said. 

I think what we are looking at to be fair is far more transmissible variants of Covid-19 and it’s much more difficult to avoid than maybe earlier variants and also there may be some waning around the infection part of the vaccines but the good news is that the vaccines are still very effective at preventing serious illness arising from Covid.

He added that there were no considerations to bring back any Covid-19 restrictions by the government and he encouraged people to enjoy St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Officials stopped short of demanding that people mask up during the long weekend, but stressed that it would be a sensible measure to take.

“People make their own risk assessments,” HSE chief clinical officer Colm Henry said.

“Obviously, there are groups of people, those who are more vulnerable, those who are older, we’re certainly advising them to consider strongly wearing a mask in any setting where they may be more exposed to the virus, and there’s a lot of it out there at the moment.

“And certainly if you’re going to any setting where there’s that high degree of congestion, lots of people gathering together, maybe the wiser thing to do, to wear a mask than to not wear one.

“It’s not compulsory, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to exercise judgment and wear one.”

Increasing concern

The warnings come amid increasing concern about the situation in hospitals and emergency departments.

There are 1,082 patients with Covid-19 in hospital, an increase of more than 30% in a week and the highest figure this year so far. 44 people are in ICU with the virus.

It comes as hospitals also tackle a spike in the people of people attending emergency departments.

Emergency departments saw 28,160 patients last week, a 31% increase compared with the same time last year.

Of them, nearly 7,000 patients were admitted into hospital.

“Admissions are running at quite a high level, with a high level of attendance,” O’Connor said.

Reid said that it was not his intention to cause “undue alarm”.

Instead, he stressed that it was important to be aware of the pressures the health system is under, with thousands of staff out and few beds unfilled.

In all, 4,102 HSE staff are out, while 940 staff are absent from nursing homes.

“As of this morning, we have 248 beds closed. We have 95 vacant beds this afternoon in our acute hospital system.

“Heading into a four-day bank holiday weekend – it is not a lot really and our sites this morning have been under a lot of pressure,” O’Connor said.

Bank holiday weekend

Officials rejected any suggestion that the double bank holiday was, in retrospect, a mistake.

“The reality of Covid and predictability is something that we know we can’t bank on predictability and how you plan ahead for bank holiday weekends,” Reid said.

We are pleased that society has moved on, and we would have been supportive of that, obviously, because Covid is certainly less severe in terms of illness and that’s what we’re seeing both in hospital.

“The message from us today is a combination of the high transmissibility levels in the community now, along with the service demands, are putting the pressure on us.

“It was the same last weekend actually. It’s just our concern for this weekend is based on it being a bank holiday and more activity, and more presentations.”

O’Connor said that it had been impossible to predict the extreme pressures hospitals would be under coming into the St Patrick’s Day long weekend.

“I’m not sure that we could have foreseen the level of activity that we have seen in the last couple of weeks really. It’s really quite extraordinarily high. And staying so high, coupled with very high Covid numbers,” she said.

Henry confirmed that the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant now makes up about 90% of all cases tested.

He also indicated that it was not entirely clear where the Covid-19 data goes from here, pointing to “large uncertainty”.

While there is a high degree of natural immunity built up, he said that re-infection remained possible – especially with the new sub-variant.

“People are thankfully mixing freely now and the restrictions were lifted in February 28. There are multiple opportunities for the virus to transmit out there in the community.

“However, there’s still levers we can pull, there still actions we can take and the choices we can make that can reduce transmission.”

With reporting from Christina Finn and Orla Dwyer.

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    Mute
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    Mar 16th 2022, 5:41 PM

    But but but the extra bank holiday was to thank frontline workers in the health service. It’s almost like it was a terrible idea the government brokered with the vintners and not remotely designed to benefit the people that have been saving lives, over worked and underpaid.

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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Mar 16th 2022, 7:23 PM

    It wasn’t. The thousand euro was to thank the frontline workers, the extra bank holiday was planned to get all people out spending like no tomorrow in shops and hospitality. Unfortunately, a large War in Europe, which had little enough to do with the vintners and the Government in fairness, has blown inflation sky high and that’s a shame for many of our sectors like tourism and hospitality and for every household, as they will all suffer for the next year because of it. Still, at least we aren’t being bombed in our beds and having to escape our own country, so maybe just be thankful for what we do have this weekend.

    110
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    Mute Sarah Lou
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    Mar 16th 2022, 8:29 PM

    @Eoin Roche: was it not a day of remembrance for all those who passed away from covid?

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Mar 16th 2022, 8:45 PM

    @Eoin Roche: But they never got their 1000 euro and there has been no mention of it since.

    15
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Mar 16th 2022, 8:45 PM

    @Sarah Lou: Thats Friday.

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    Mute Mary O Dwyer
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:02 PM

    So advise is wear masks by the very same people who were happy to say no need for masks when the evidence was clear that the numbers were way too high . Now again the non covid care is suffering and people will unfortunately pay the ultimate price in some cases . This is just not fair . All it takes is the government to swallow their pride and say tonight masks are once again mandatory in retail , schools , crowded sports venues , transport . We are exactly repeating the slow reaction of two years ago . This new variant is sailing through the fully vaccinated and most are fine but a growing number are not fine and end up in hospital . Would someone please just call it . The virus will sweep through wards and most of our patients are still in wards not single rooms .

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    Mute
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:14 PM

    @Mary O Dwyer: I’ve said that all along that it’s nowt to do with acknowledging hard work done by hospital staff etc it’s to do with the VFI and associates more to say thanks for being patient during lockdown sorry for the inconvenience Diageo here’s a double bubble bank holiday. Thankfully I don’t drink so won’t bother me.

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    Mute Cosmological
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:56 PM

    @Mary O Dwyer:
    Well said Mary, being maskless on public transport defies rationality.

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    Mute Patrick
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    Mar 16th 2022, 8:11 PM

    @Mary O Dwyer: what a load of verbal diarrhoea…..

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    Mute Josepi
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    Mar 16th 2022, 9:26 PM

    @Mary O Dwyer: Masks are gone and good riddance. They done absolutely nothing! Zilch…they were a comfort blanket. I know lots of incredibly careful people who barely left their homes and they still got it.

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:12 PM
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    Mute Joe_X
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:44 PM

    @Josepi: The proof is there in front of your eyes and you still can’t see it. Shows how juvenile when you cannot admit how wrong you are. Here we are a couple of weeks after the removal of mandatory mask wearing in non-medical locations, and a week into the latest surge? Coincidence I hope not, because the alternative is the new varient. If things keep going this way, it will result in the reintroduced mandatory mask wearing regardless of the reason for the surge. Now again, go away, adults talking.

    19
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:45 PM

    @Cosmological: wear a mask…no one is stopping you..and people who don’t want to don’t…this is wat the experts are telling u…the very people you have been on about the whole time that we should follow their advice….My God…are u questioning the science behind this…tisk tisk! Can have Jam on both sides.

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:46 PM

    @Patrick: if you want to see someone spouting verbal diarrhoea…. look in a mirror.

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:51 PM

    @Hear me now: and even experts gave been known to be wrong on occasion. No one is infallible… they have been right all along but unfortunatly they bowed under pressure from the likes of yourself. Or maybe a simple case they just could not be arsed trying to justify themselves to your side of the debate and have decided to leave ye find it out the hard way… pity ye have to drag the rest of us down with ye though

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    Mute Mary O Dwyer
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    Mar 17th 2022, 12:12 AM

    @Josepi: Not correct sorry , I know someone post bone marrow transplant with a young family and he has worn his ffp2 mask for the past year religiously and he hasnt had covid thank god even when his child did . Masks absolutely work . Just look at the numbers rising so fast in hospital beds since we were told they were not needed .

    15
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    Mute Mary O Dwyer
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:24 PM

    If someone has covid they can’t have their surgery even if in the hard won bed . They can’t have their chemo or they can’t have their radiotherapy or even have their scope or scans to diagnose them . Talking about icu beds stable does not heed the fact that planned surgery or treatment stops if the patient picks up the virus on a ward or on a bus to an appointment . If over 1100 cases in hospital wards how do you effectively stop its onward transmission to the vulnerable there and most in hospital are vulnerable . Masks work and were working but we quit weeks too soon . Nobody was looking for the end of masks and most were quite surprised at the instant decision . The government can reverse the decision . People follow rules well but need the rule . Non covid patients need us to mask

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    Mute Peter Willekens
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    Mar 16th 2022, 5:41 PM

    Disaster waiting to happen..

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    Mute Will Roche
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:00 PM

    “The extra bank holiday was to thank everyone for their efforts the last 2 years. Get out there and live life again”. This was what the government said. Get out there and enjoy yourself. And sensibly.

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    Mute Paddy Mc Donnell
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:54 PM

    @Will Roche: Bank Holiday was coming anyway even if Covid wasn’t here, the Gov just used it as a sell

    36
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    Mute Genera L Consensus
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    Mar 16th 2022, 7:27 PM

    Any chance of an aul lockdown?

    32
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Mar 16th 2022, 8:49 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: No.

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    Mute Johnny King
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    Mar 16th 2022, 9:09 PM

    A huge amount of the hospital cases are incidental. That’s a very important distinction.

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    Mute Mary O Dwyer
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    Mar 17th 2022, 12:23 AM

    @Johnny King: not if you were in there for surgery or chemo and now can’t have it and are left worried sick and stressed out if your head and maybe very sick for a long time which could delay surgery or treatment indefinitely until pneumonia or sepsis gone . Nobody is in hospital for nothing these days . Incidental finding of covid in a patient means no surgery for now . 500 people in hospital for planned procedures have had that delayed in many cases so can we all just be a little more altruistic and kind . Masks work in reducing hospital admissions and they increase available beds for non covid serious Illness care

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    Mute Joe_X
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    Mar 16th 2022, 11:08 PM

    There are 3 things that after 2 and a bit years since this blasted thing kicked off that I cannot figure out why people cannot understand them:

    1: When you test positive for the virus but are not symptomatic, YOU DO NOT HAVE COVID. you are a carrier of SARS-COV-2, which is why you isolate. Anyone who comes along claiming that they had covid and did not even have a sniffle….sorry, but by your own admission, you did not have CoViD-19.

    2: The masks were not meant protect the wearer, they were meant protect those around the wearer. As long as it keeps the droplets you exhale around your own gob it is doing it’s job.

    3: The hospital and ICU numbers do not rise immediately. There is a lag and to those saying the ICU are currently low….. this particular surge only started last week!

    24
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    Mute Nicola Ní Chathail
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    Mar 16th 2022, 9:58 PM

    Only 44 in ICU out of entire population.

    15
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    Mute Joe_X
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:55 PM

    @Nicola Ní Chathail: only shy of 15000 cass reported today in a surge thst only kicked off last week… .lets see how the ICU develops over the next couple of weeks.

    13
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    Mute OnlyHereForTheComments
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    Mar 16th 2022, 6:59 PM

    @Paul Keenan: Thanks Dr Paul. Attitudes like yours contributing to rising case numbers and needless sickness and death. I hope you’re proud of yourself.

    25
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    Mute Thunder Snowman
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    Mar 16th 2022, 7:29 PM

    @OnlyHereForTheComments: What did he say? It’s been deleted and I’m curious…

    19
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    Mute Lisa
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    Mar 16th 2022, 11:27 PM

    So NPHET continues to advise the vulnerable to wear masks? But what kind of masks? They are giving people, those that a vulnerable a choice in the type of masks to wear. Go onto HSE website about masks and it’s medical mask OR respirator mask. They can’t even tell people to wear respirator masks if they’re vulnerable. They have a choice and can pick medical masks if they want. The kind with gaps at the sides and can still smell perfume. If you can smell perfume, you can breathe in covid. While other countries went with respirator masks a long time ago, ourselves are still way behind. Just something else they can’t get right.

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    Mute Hear me now
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    Mar 16th 2022, 10:47 PM

    So one lad saying things are dire & another lad saying there’s nothing to worry about…Good to know!

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