The HSE has warned that Covid-19 is now “rampant” across communities in Ireland.
And they have warned that we could soon see the scenario where we are reporting on up to 3,000 cases of the virus each day.
They have warned the public to be on their guard, especially vulnerable people including the elderly and sick.
Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid said: “It is absolutely rampant in the community and we know that for a fact.
“Everyone is at extremely high risk now at contracting the virus.”
“The real picture over the last few days is most likely getting close to 3,000 cases a day.
“That is the extent of the virus we are dealing with.
“So when we get to these levels it has a severe impact across a whole set of areas, and the volume beyond what any system can cope with.”
He continued: “We really need everybody to take the real appropriate actions that we’re calling out to everybody to do, which in essence is retract.
“Retract back to our homes, reduce our contacts drastically and really protect ourselves in the coming days and weeks.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan begged the public to go into isolation to save lives while the vaccine is rolled out.
He was speaking at yesterday’s daily press conference.
He said: “People know what they need to do and they know when they’re not following that advice.
“We’ve seen examples in some of the contact tracing information with people identifying 20 to 30 positive close contacts — clearly not in any way following public health advice, going to parties perhaps or other gatherings, they must know.
“Everybody in the country at this point knows the situation we’re in and to the point of vaccination — as a society are we going to allow people who are vulnerable to be exposed to a virus they need not necessarily be exposed to, if we can get this right, just as we’re about to offer them vaccination?
“Many people in vulnerable groups didn’t just hope, probably prayed for the advent of vaccines we’ve now seen and are now coming.
“At this point as a society, we owe it to them to not let it go to the point they pick up an infection that means they are no longer around to benefit from being vaccinated and protected.”
Tags: