Concerns grow as over 3,500 staff are off-duty; 1,300 nurses from other sectors were asked to return to ICU

DUBLIN: Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said the open intervention of people in December had led to an increase in the COVID-19 cases. Dr. Holohan urged people to stay at home to reduce the high incidence of COVID-19 outbreaks.

There was also a significant increase in the COVID-19 infection in December, when restrictions on retail, grocery and pharmacy were eased. In this, the role of the new variant identified in the UK has also been found. “The message is still the same, the message is stay at home. The virus, the UK variant still requires socialisation (to spread),” Dr. Holohan said.

Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) would also consider the lack of childcare facilities for health workers. The fact that about 3,500 staff members are off duty due to COVID reasons has become a concern in recent days. The CMO said the delay in opening schools would exacerbate staff shortages and child care problems.

HSE settings

HSE Clinical Lead for Intensive Care Dr Michael Power said 1,300 nurses from other areas of care have been asked to return to the ICU as the number of COVID-19 patients’ increases. About 3,500 nurses at various hospitals are reported to be off-duty in connection with COVID-19. He said an experienced nurse will pair with a nurse who has previous ICU experience.

Each ICU bed usually requires seven nurses. “One week ago that was 282, then 292, now it is up to 302. There is on-going redeployment in the hospital system, we are very grateful for that,” Dr Power said.

Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said efforts were being made to finalize vaccinations for frontline health care workers. She said the Oxford Astra/Zeneca vaccine would be approved by the European Medicines Agency later this month. She added that the vaccine can be stored in normal fridges.

New guidelines for nursing home visits

New guidelines have been issued to minimize visits to nursing homes due to staff shortages. The new guidelines also say that PPEs should be considered for all needy visitors.