LAST UPDATE | 11 May 2021

BETWEEN 250,000 and 270,000 vaccine doses are set to be administered this week across the country, the government has said, as it hailed the “momentum” increasing in the rollout. 

In a post-Cabinet statement, the government said that the vaccine programme is having a very positive impact on decreases in serious illness, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland. This will allow the “gradual and safe re-opening of our economy and society”, it said. 

Over 1.8 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, with just over half a million people fully vaccinated. One in three adults in the country has now received a first dose. 

The rollout has been described as “substantially progressed” in long-term residential care facilities, healthcare workers and the over 70s, as well as those at very high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19.

This week, approximately 80,000 to 90,000 people over the age of 70 will receive a vaccine dose. 

A further 120,000 vaccines will be administered to people aged 50-69 this week.

The Department of Health is currently considering a revised proposal from the HSE on foot of recommendations of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) on the use of the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines. A decision on this is expected by the end of the week. 

There’s also been an increase in vaccine support according to the latest survey commissioned by the department and compiled by Amárach Research. Around 70% of people say they’ll definitely get a vaccine with 16% saying they probably will. 

Hospitalisations

And, as restrictions further eased across the country this week, the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospital is continuing to fall.

According to the latest figures from the HSE, there were 104 patients with Covid-19 in hospital at 8pm yesterday, with 32 of those in ICU beds. There were 27 Covid patients on ventilators in ICU.

The Mater Hospital (13) and Tallaght Hospital (10) in Dublin have the largest number of patients with Covid-19, followed by Naas (9), Connolly (8) and Cavan (7) hospitals. 

On the same day last week there were 132 patients with Covid-19 in hospital. 

Last night public health officials reported 381 new cases of the disease in Ireland. The five-day-moving average is now 425, down from 489 last week. 

With reporting by Michelle Hennessy