DUBLIN: Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed that the COVID lockdown will continue until Easter. He said the phased opening of schools and the housing sector are the top priorities of the government. “We are looking at a continuation of high levels of restrictions to the Easter period. That remains to be determined by Government; there will be further discussions,” the Taoiseach said.
Mr. Martin said that the government has taken a realistic and cautious approach to COVID vaccination. The most important thing is to reduce the number of COVID patients in hospitals. The number of patients is still up 25% compared to last April. The biggest threat is the UK virus. The UK variant has a higher risk of spreading the disease than the original variant, with a risk of transmission of 22.5% in close contact. At the same time, it is 10-11% for the original virus.
The Taoiseach also told the Parliamentary Party meeting that the strict restrictions would continue until at least the beginning of May. Meanwhile, top government sources have revealed that the Living with COVID plan will come into effect on March 5. However, indications are that there will be no easing of COVID restrictions during the implementation of new plan.
52 deaths and 866 COVID cases confirmed yesterday
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) confirmed 866 new COVID-19 cases in Ireland yesterday.
According to the latest figures released yesterday evening, another 52 people infected with COVID-19 have died in the country.
The average age of those who died was 83 years and the age range was between 55 and 96 years.
The death toll from COVID-19 in Ireland has now risen to 3,846 while the number of confirmed cases has risen to 206,801.
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