The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) warns the Irish government that a third wave of Covid-19 could be more deadly and dangerous than thee second one.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer has written to the government in detail that a resurgence of Covid-19 virus during January next year will be a real threat for the public.
He said that the increase in the level of virus spread could affect health and social care services, schools and the wider education system and put them at risk.
As the number of daily cases is getting higher each day, NPHET has predicted certain scenarios in which the daily number would reach 400 in January, or even before that.
After the NPHET meeting, the letter was sent on Thursday before the government’s announcement on Friday.
Friday evening the government announced that the country will be moving from Level 5 to level 3 with slight modifications in the guidelines and rules from December 1 onwards.
NPHET’s letter said that if the restrictions were lifted at a parallel rate or in at an increased rate compared to summer, then a third wave of disease will ensue much more quickly and with greater mortality than the second one.
The letter also pointed out that there is a ‘persistent and delayed incidence in healthcare workers and notifications of healthcare setting outbreaks and the number of confirmed cases in hospital, critical care, and COVID-19 deaths are not decreasing which gives rise to significant concern’.
NPHET also said that the concerns with covid spread amongst old age people still remain as a great concern and the Christmas travel could shatter all the positive things achieved during the recent weeks.
They also said that its better to keep the hospitality sector inactive, because there is high risk of indoor setting in December.