The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) will meet today to consider extra measures to restrict socialising over Christmas.
Measures are likely to be aimed at social mixing, close contacts and interational travel.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the future trajectory of the Omicron variant is “very stark” and the peak of hospitalisations from Omicron could be as bad or worse than January 2021.
“The huge difference to last year is the vaccines and the boosters,” he said.
Minister Donnelly announced an acceleration booster plan yesterday to open clinics to those aged 40+ from the week commencing 27 December.
GP practices are instructed to prioritise booster and to only deliver urgent care outside the vaccine programme.
The number of pharmacies participating in the programme will increase to 700 this week, with further aims to bring in 1000 participating pharmacies.
From Monday, the primary vaccination will begin for high-risk children aged 5 – 11 (through paediatric hospitals). Online registration for children with underlying conditions will open during the week commencing 27 December, with the programme extending to all 5-11 year olds in January.
“It is the intention that we will deliver an average of 300,000 booster doses a week in the coming weeks,” Minister Donnelly said.
