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Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Covid-19: What does the recent data tell us about Ireland's fight against the virus?

As the government ramps up the vaccination rollout again, the data indicates boosters are doing their job.

WITH JUST TEN days until Christmas, public health officials are still reporting thousands of new cases of Covid-19 – and a new variant of concern is causing additional worry about the increased socialising that comes with the festive season.

After the World Health Organisation designated Omicron a variant of concern, Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the start of the month announced a number of restrictions were to be re-implemented to help stem the spread of Covid-19 in the run up to Christmas.

Now the focus has shifted to accelerating the rollout of booster vaccines. On Monday the government announced that the gap between the second dose and a booster is to be reduced to three months as it attempts to reach as many people before Christmas. 

Let’s take a look at where we’re at, according to the data. 

Case numbers

Covid case numbers were increasing since the end of June, rising up to a 14-day incidence of 578 per 100,000 on 27 October. By 8 December that incidence had increased to 1,360 per 100,000.

According to the latest data from the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC), 31,211 new cases of Covid-19 were reported over the 7-day period from 6-12 December. 

This is a reduction from the 32,553 cases reported over the seven-day period from 29 November to 5 December.

The current median age of Covid-positive cases is 31. One fifth of cases are among children aged 5-12, with a further 5.4% among younger children aged 0-4.  Just over 19% of cases are among adults aged 34-44. 

The 14-day incidence rates in counties like Westmeath, Carlow, Laois, Dublin and Kildare are highest. 

HPSC HPSC

Public health officials continue to report outbreaks in education and childcare settings, as well as private homes, workplaces and health or residential care settings.

HSE HSE

Yesterday the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) said it estimates that 11% of Covid-19 cases in Ireland are now due to the Omicron variant. That is an increase from less than 1% just one week ago.

The total number of cases confirmed through sequencing is 18. 

Hospitalisations

As case numbers increased in recent months, the lag effect of increased hospitalisations and admissions to ICU has followed.

Over the two-week period from 29 November to 12 December there were 516 new admissions of patients with Covid-19 and 21 new admissions to ICU. 

On 8 December, with a 5-day moving average of 4,690 cases, there were 543 patients in hospital with Covid-19 – a significant increase on the 311 patients at the beginning of September. A total of 118 of those patients required treatment in an intensive care unit. 

The HSE has said unvaccinated people are 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalised and four times more likely to be admitted to an ICU. Despite representing only 13% of total positive cases nationally, the unvaccinated accounted for 46% of all ICU admissions. 

Health officials have also noted an increase over the past few months in ICU admissions among vaccinated people, which they said highlights the need for enhanced protection through booster vaccination.

HSE HSE

Booster stats

Over 1.2 million booster vaccine doses had been administered up to 12 December, including 97,271 third doses to people who are immunocompromised.

According to the latest HSE data, 85% of over 80s, 80% of 70-79-year-olds and 34% of 60-69-year-olds had received a booster dose as of 8 December.

72% of healthcare workers and 64% of residents in longterm care facilities had received their booster jab. 85% of those identified as immunocompromised had been given their third dose. 

The additional dose for those who are immunocompromised is considered to be part of the usual vaccination course, rather than a so-called booster, as their immune response to the vaccines is not as strong as that of a healthy person.

The HSE has said it is already seeing the positive impact of booster shots among vulnerable age groups, with a drop-off in case numbers and hospitalisations in those cohorts. 

HSE HSE

By European standards, Ireland has been performing well in terms of its booster programme rollout and as of 8 December had the fourth highest booster rate. 

Austria and Hungary, which began rolling out boosters in August, are at 30.4% and 28.2%, while Malta has an uptake rate of 26.8%, compared to Ireland’s 20.3%.

HSE HSE

There are still a small number of people coming forward for their initial first and second doses of vaccine, with 679 first doses and 1,169 second doses administered on 12 December. Just over 90% of people over the age of 12 in Ireland are fully vaccinated.

Although the vaccination programme’s IT system has not yet been updated to reflect the new accelerated rollout, HSE test centres have already been told to facilitate people to get their Covid-19 booster jabs three months after receiving their second dose.

Under proposals recently brought to Cabinet by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, GPs, pharmacies and pop-up vaccination centres will also play an even bigger role in this vaccination rollout over the next few weeks. 

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33 Comments
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    Mute John Travers
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    Dec 13th 2015, 3:56 PM

    What was that about?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:32 PM

    Creating talk by people to advertise themselves, like now on this site?

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:41 PM

    You are supposed to create positive talk not confused talk

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    Mute Paul Mc Manus
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    Dec 13th 2015, 3:56 PM

    What about the ‘FLUID’ people. Hey!!??? Hey!!??? Don’t they get a say? This country is so sexist lololol ;) ; )

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:38 PM

    You mean the alcoholics as they are full of fluid lol.

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    Mute Len Brennan
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    Dec 13th 2015, 6:37 PM

    I thought gender fluid was a biohazard.

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    Mute Pepper
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    Dec 13th 2015, 3:53 PM

    Easy to spot the gay fella. He’s the one decorating the tree.

    67
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    Mute Pepper
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:02 PM

    And he has mistletoe in his back pocket.

    63
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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:18 PM

    If it was a game show called spot the gay fella I’d agree but it’s supposed to be an advertisement ?

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    Mute Rasputin
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    Dec 13th 2015, 5:23 PM

    Surely it’s the lad sitting on top of the tree.

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    Mute James Joseph Superior Power
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    Dec 14th 2015, 4:33 AM

    Easy to spot the fools.

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Dec 13th 2015, 3:57 PM

    What in the flying **** did I just witness?

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:10 PM

    It’s a normal add plus all the sexual orientation comments but what are they doing there in the first place?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:33 PM

    Depends what you were looking at lol. Sorry…

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:19 PM

    It’s a joke.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:44 PM

    More like a Christmas tree dildo that man has in his hands?

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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:59 PM

    Marketing stunt that has worked. What is so confusing about that.

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:36 PM

    Clearly dyas don’t recognise trans ppl… There should be a protest!! And they should apologise to asexuals… They are ppl too

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    Mute NachoBusiness
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:30 PM

    People really are not very bright these days. It’s called satire folks.

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:43 PM

    And such satire is confusing & not funny, or maybe I didn’t get it ?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 13th 2015, 5:18 PM

    It is called angry satire?

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    Mute Alan McDonald
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    Dec 13th 2015, 6:24 PM

    I like it!

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    Mute Mark Fitzmaurice
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:12 PM

    Genius

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:19 PM

    Care to enlighten us?

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    Mute Stibby
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:25 PM

    Well it is an advertisement.. and advertising is what they got and alot of it..

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    Mute Gerry O'Brien
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    Dec 13th 2015, 5:02 PM

    Mark Fitzmaurice! does Maurice Fit Mark?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 13th 2015, 4:30 PM

    … And I’m going to burn in Hell, I mean I was born in Kells. lol…

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    Mute TommyRyder
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    Dec 13th 2015, 6:56 PM

    Hahaha.
    Gay man in the tools section?
    Funniest joke I’ve heard in ages.
    Almost as funny as that time Brokeback Mountain ended up in the western genre.

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    Mute Lloyd Hetherington
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    Dec 14th 2015, 1:56 AM

    You’re easily amused, Tommy.

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    Mute James Joseph Superior Power
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    Dec 14th 2015, 4:28 AM

    You have the brains of a turnip Tommy. I worked on a building sites for years. OMG I must be straight. The horror I better get a job as a hairdedde fast.

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    Mute James Joseph Superior Power
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    Dec 14th 2015, 4:38 AM

    hairdresser

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    Mute TommyRyder
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    Dec 14th 2015, 6:02 PM

    A hairdresser James ?
    Kojak’s.

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    Mute James Joseph Superior Power
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    Dec 14th 2015, 10:14 PM

    Manscape Is probble more to your taste Tommy.
    It’s known in the biz as back, sack, and crack.

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    Mute jenine whyte
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    Dec 13th 2015, 5:34 PM

    Never heard of Robert Dyas but now I’m intrigued. Great advertising

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    Mute Jho Harris
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    Dec 13th 2015, 9:24 PM

    Well I wouldn’t set foot in their store, the staff are all a bit thick regardless of their sexuality.

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    Mute Michael cunnane
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    Dec 13th 2015, 7:24 PM

    My name is michael Caine.And I’m a nosey neighbour!

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    Mute Mike Howard
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    Dec 13th 2015, 8:07 PM

    Hi , my name is Randie, I just came out to my employer – a Catholic publication paper and now I’m out of s job – fancy that now

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    Mute Alan Mac
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    Dec 13th 2015, 6:10 PM

    Wtf

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    Mute Gaz
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    Dec 14th 2015, 1:50 AM

    Weird!!!!

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    Mute TheGateFlorist
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    Dec 14th 2015, 10:43 AM

    Do they sell self tapping screws

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