The Chief Medical Officer's warned as many as 400,000 people could be infected by Covid next month if action isn't taken.
That would mean nearly 13,000 cases every day in December.
The messaging around antigen tests should be simple.
If you test negative, don't change your behaviour.
If you test positive, isolate and get a PCR.
This stuff about not trusting people to use them properly means we miss out on catching cases, and treats people like children.— Paul O'Donoghue (@paulodonoghue93) November 17, 2021
Today’s Figures
43 Covid-related deaths have been reported over the past week.
3,633 new cases have also been confirmed in the most recent 24-hour period.
634 Covid patients are in hospital, up 20 from yesterday.
119 people are in intensive care with the virus, up five.
🦠 43 more deaths linked to Covid-19.
🔴 3,633 new cases detected
🏥 634 in hospital
🩺 119 in ICU.— Ben Finnegan (@_BenFinnegan) November 17, 2021
Reduce Social Contact
Dr Tony Holohan says now is not the best time to be organising work place Christmas parties.
He says the public should review any socialisation plans they have in the coming weeks.
It comes a day after the government announced it's latest mitigation measures.
They include a midnight curfew on hospitality and new rules on close contacts.
Dr Holohan says there would be huge pressure on the hospital systems if cases continue to rise at their current rate:
"We think that in the best case scenario, in terms of the models as things stand."
"Perhaps about 200,000 people will pick up this infection during the month of December."
"If things don't turn around it, that could be as high as 400,000."
"If we had 200,000 people being infected over the course of the month of December, that could put 4,000 of those people in hospital at Christmas time."
