LAST UPDATE | 30 Dec 2020

AN UNSCHEDULED CABINET meeting is taking place today to discuss the “rapid” and “exponential” growth in Covid-19 infections in Ireland and the UK.

This comes as a further nine deaths and 1,546 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed by health officials in Ireland yesterday evening. 

As of 2pm yesterday, 411 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, of which 34 are in ICU.

In Northern Ireland, a further six deaths and 2,143 additional cases of the virus were confirmed this afternoon.

Speaking to RTÉ on his way to the Cabinet meeting, health minister Stephen Donnelly said, “We are seeing a very rapid increase, an ongoing increase in cases, we are also seeing a very rapid increase in hospitalisations.

“The good news however is that we have the vaccine, there are more vaccines coming we are rolling it out, we are accelerating that and so the strategy is to surprise the virus to give time to vaccinate front line workers and those who are most vulnerable.”

Yesterday, the Wicklow TD said that the Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) are “very concerned” by the growth in case numbers and hospitalisations in recent days.

Asked if public health restrictions could be tightened in the coming days, Donnelly told News at One on RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday afternoon that Cabinet would “look at the measures that are in place” and “consider restrictions in light of the increase in cases and hospitalisations”.

Government is particularly concerned, he said, by a variant strain of Covid-19 that is prevalent in the UK.

“What we’re watching very closely is what’s happening in the UK because this variant, which appears to be much more contagious than what we’ve been dealing with so far is driving very rapid growth in the UK.

“We’re beginning to see reports in the media about NHS hospitals beginning to become overwhelmed by Covid and Covid patients. Obviously that’s not something we want to see here,” Donnelly said. 

Taoiseach Michael Martin is expected to make an announcement later today regarding Cabinet’s decisions. 

Earlier today, Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said the Cabinet will need to decide today whether to change or remove “some or all” of the modifications for Level 5 restrictions currently in place. 

“We are in tumultuous times. We have to respond to the situation, as we see it. And the reality is here that there is a UK variant now confirmed in Ireland, we’re dealing with somewhat of an unknown there,” he said, speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today. 

“We don’t know the extent to which it is contributing to the rate of spread of the virus at this time, but it is true to say that the rate of growth in the virus in recent times exceeds all predictions.”  

Schools

As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Ireland, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has called on the government to consider delaying the start of the next school term until 11 January at the earliest. 

INTO General Secretary John Boyle made the request in a letter to Minister for Education Norma Foley.

In his letter, Boyle called for the start of the next school term to be delayed until Monday, 11 January “at the earliest”. 

“The INTO remains strongly committed to supporting our 42,000 members in safe workplaces, as they endeavour to teach and support the wellbeing of their pupils at school where children undoubtedly benefit greatly,” Boyle wrote. 

“However, it is now becoming very clear that the ability of schools to operate normally is likely to be seriously impaired due to the higher numbers of staff and students who will need to self-isolate and/or restrict movement in the weeks following Christmas,” he said. 

The INTO raised a number of concerns regarding the reopening of schools next month, including the number of positive cases identified as a result of mass-testing in schools this month, and the new strain of Covid-19, believed to be 70% more transmissible, which has been identified in Ireland. 

With reporting by Ian Curran