HSE HSE

AS OF LAST night, there were 928 people with Covid-19 in hospital, with 157 people in ICU and a further 119 Covid-19 patients on ventilation.

At the peak of the third wave, there were 2,032 people hospitalised with Covid-19. The peak number of people in ICUs was 221.

Yesterday, there were 788 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland, with a further 17 people with Covid-19 have died. Of these deaths, 15 occurred in February, one in December, with the date of the last death still under investigation.

There have been a total of 3,948 deaths related to Covid-19, and the total number of confirmed cases is now at 209,582.

As of 11 February, 261,073 doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland, including 171,239 people who have received their first dose and 89,834 who have received their second dose. 

The country’s immunisation programme is moving into its third phase today with the rollout of the vaccine for people aged over 85.

Some 12,000 people are expected to receive their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination this week in GP practices and in 40 vaccination centres around the country, while the HSE aims to move into the next cohort – those aged 80-84 – in around three weeks’ time.

HSE chief Paul Reid said the country is heading into a “more positive” phase of the pandemic ahead of today’s vaccine rollout.

“We’re heading into a more positive phase in dealing with #COVID19. We all wish we had more supplies to vaccinate quicker. But soon we’ll have our most vulnerable living in care homes and in the community protected. And supplies improve from this week too,” Reid tweeted.

Dr Denis McCauley of the Irish Medical Organisation GP Committee estimates that 2,700 vaccines given tomorrow, based on delivery times of the first batches today. 

Speaking on Morning Ireland, McCauley said this is the first time this vaccine has been administered outside a hospital or nursing home setting and that it is important to allow GPs to “get used to it”.

He estimates that “well over 70% of practices will be giving the vaccine in their own surgeries” and the majority of patients will receive it from their own GP.

“There will be a number of smaller practices where it is logistically not practical, or possible to deliver vaccines to these surgeries so they will go to a hub type arrangement where there will be GPS and practice nurses giving it,” he said.