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Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn. PA

Covid-19: Ronan Glynn says virus 'out of control' amid further warnings of pressure on hospitals

The deputy CMO said the positive test rate is plateauing at “an extremely high level”.

LAST UPDATE | 24 Nov 2021

DR RONAN GLYNN says the Covid-19 pandemic is “out of control” in Ireland and the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) may have to recommend measures to clamp down on the spread of the virus.

The deputy chief medical officer said the Covid-19 positive test rate is plateauing at “an extremely high level” of around 20% in the community.

“We do have a pandemic that’s out of control in this country at the moment. There’s no there’s no getting away from that. And that’s the situation across every country in Europe at the moment,” Dr Glynn said on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne programme.

Dr Glynn said if there is further disimprovement in the trajectory of the disease, then NPHET will have to make recommendations to address those concerns.

“We’ll just have to see where we are in a week/10 days time and, if necessary, provide further advice at that point,” he said.

Dr Glynn said that the Department of Health’s first priority is to try to prevent as many people as possible from getting sick and as many vulnerable people as possible from ending up hospitalised and dying.

“Vaccines have been an enormous step forward in that regard. And despite the very high levels of disease that we’re seeing at the moment, we are seeing much fewer of those cases translate into serious hospitalisations and ICU than mortality,” he said.

Glynn said the Irish population has been “phenomenal” in listening to public health experts and getting vaccinated.

Hospitals under pressure

HSE CEO Paul Reid said hospitals across the country are now under ‘very serious pressure’ due to the high level of Covid-19 in the community.

In an update to the Oireachtas Health Committee this morning, Reid said Ireland is now “firmly in the midst of a fourth surge in Covid-19 infections”.

“The entire health system, both acute hospitals and community are now under very serious pressure,” he said.

Reid said the HSE has had to take immediate measures in response to hospital and ICU pressures, including the short-term prioritisation of unscheduled care, and increasing surge capacity through providing additional beds, particularly in ICU. He said the system can surge to 350 ICU beds. 

“I know that the resurgence of the virus, and the response now required, will place even more pressure on staff,” he told the committee.

Reid explained to the committee that the winter season in any year presents additional challenges to health systems, but theses pressures are now “compounded by the massive increase in Covid-19 infections we are currently experiencing”.

He said this rise in cases is leading to presentations in emergency departments and onwards to wards and intensive care units.

“Emergency Departments continue to operate distinct pathways of care for Covid and non-Covid patients, and this places a huge demand on staffing and space available,” he said.

Reid told the committee that a consequence of the significant rise in hospital attendances through emergency departments has been the necessity to relieve the overall pressure on hospitals by evaluating planned procedures and cancelling less urgent appointments for both day cases and in-patients.

He said the number of cancellations and non-booking of planned surgery has been growing due to the growing incidence of Covid-19 in hospitals.

He said the HSE’s winter plan will focus on avoidance of hospital admittance unless absolutely necessary, patient flow through hospitals, and safe and timely departure of patients from hospital.

The use of private hospitals where required to increase capacity in the short-term is part of the plan, he said.

Testing and boosters

Reid said the scale of people being tested for Covid-19 in Ireland is “phenomenal”, compared with the population.

“We now, over the past seven days, have 210,000 PCR lab tests completed in our labs,” he told the Sinn Fein TD.

“We had our highest day ever just two days ago, with 26,000 tests in the community.”

He said that more than one million PCR tests have been completed in the last six to seven weeks, but insisted that extra staff are being deployed and the testing service expanded with help from private companies.

Mr Reid said he does accept there have been delays amid a spike in demand.

“I want to fully acknowledge the pressure and demand that’s on it and the delays people will experience,” he said.

But he called on anyone who has symptoms and feels they need to have a test to restrict their movements.

Reid also provided an update on the rollout of the Covid-19 booster vaccination programme. To date, more than 630,000 boosters have been administered.

He said the over 80s and long-term care groups are “substantially complete” and more than half of over 70s (190,000 people) have received their jab. Among the over 60s, 43,000 boosters have been administered. 

The European Union health agency today called on member states to “urgently” introduce anti-Covid measures to reduce the potentially “very high” burden the disease will have in December and January.

The director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Andrea Ammon, recommended Covid booster shots for all adults over the age of 18, “with a priority for people above 40 years old”.

The agency also urged countries to increase their overall vaccination rates, especially those with low uptake. 

With reporting from Céimin Burke, PA and AFP

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute william looby
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:31 PM

    Please stop searching twitter posts and pretending that it is news. Be a journalist, not a hack.

    187
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    Mute Batdroid
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:02 PM

    Twitter the one big fartbox echo chamber

    70
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    Mute Gary
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:43 PM

    “Fartbox echo chamber” lol. Very good. You definitely nailed it.

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    Mute Crom Cruach
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    Dec 21st 2015, 8:18 PM

    You do realise that you’re logged in via Twitter, yes?

    6
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    Mute Batdroid
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 12:08 AM

    Yes I know. I only use it for here. I don’t enter the dreaded fartbox

    3
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    Mute family guy
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:32 PM

    What does it matter what skin colour she has. As long as she can act.

    157
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    Mute Grigori Rasputin
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:35 PM

    Or can actually do magic.

    127
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    Mute Fozz
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:37 PM

    and cast spells…

    52
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    Mute TheBull
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:40 PM

    The vast majority of the people complaing went even see it. They just like complaing.

    60
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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:42 PM

    colour doesn’t matter…but they could of went with 3 younger actors no??!

    26
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    Mute luke frankus
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:57 PM

    @Rob. No, actually!. It’s supposed to be about their life when their older. Harry has a wife and school aged children!. But only the people who actually read the article would know that…

    98
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    Mute Joe MacCarthaigh
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:07 PM

    The character of Hermoine is white, always has been always will. This is just pandering to the pc crowd.

    83
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    Mute Joe MacCarthaigh
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:08 PM

    If it’s about their life when their older how will they explain Hermoine changing skin tone? Rachel Dolezal stuff.

    55
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    Mute luke frankus
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:10 PM

    You obviously didn’t read the article either, Joe.

    73
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    Mute Joe Phillips
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:13 PM

    Joe, you should have a word with JK. She thinks that whoever invented the character never actually specified skin tone but she obviously hasn’t seen your notes, which I presume she must have received before inventing the character.

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    Mute Joe MacCarthaigh
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:20 PM

    I’ve seen all the films, Hermoine is white as snow.

    42
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    Mute Debi Nikita
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:28 PM

    She’s magic, Joe. She can change into anything she wants. That’s the beauty of being magical.

    28
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    Mute family guy
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:30 PM

    It’s only a book and film will people chill out. There are alot more serious things going on.

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    Mute Imperator Isachukwu
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:31 PM

    Exactly the view most folk would have family guy. Unfortunately Social Justice types are jumping on the race bandwagon with glee.

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    Mute Nicholas J Campbell
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:04 PM

    She’s not a real person. She could be played by any race or any person. Didn’t see you giving it socks when daredevils kingpin was black in the movie in the mid 00′s or the fact that nick fury is now Samuel L. Get over it. Fictional characters people. They are created to be reinvented forever. It’s a pat on the back of a novelist to see diverse versions of their characters come to life. Narrow minded moaning weirdos who have a problem with that. It’s not even a PC patrol thing, it’s a freedom of creation and appropriation thing.

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    Mute Meehawwl O'Buachailla
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:06 PM

    Okay joe, it’s a spolier alert but here ya’ go. Harry in adulthood has cast a spell on Hermione changing her skin colour to black. There, is that easier for you?

    12
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    Mute Amanda Horan
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    Dec 21st 2015, 6:11 PM

    Yes Joe and the play is based on the books, not the film.

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    Mute willr
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:31 PM

    The guy playing Ron Weasley got Brown hair… Where are the Ginger defenders?

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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:16 PM

    Guy playing Ron (Paul Thornley) looks like he has more grey hair to me (and I am a ginger….. a ginger who is going fecking grey!)

    23
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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:46 PM

    I think it’s good casting…

    But is someone not allowed be of the other opinion without needing ‘putting in their place’ by politically correct social justice touting hipsters on Twitter?

    God I really hate Twitter, and the publishing of tweets on articles/media. It just breeds more of these people who think their tweets and opinions really influence anyone….

    56
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    Mute Imperator Isachukwu
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:28 PM

    Amen. The Social Justice crowd take the most innocuous things and ruin them. Far more people complaining about the complainers than are complaining abput the casting. Most people dont care if the actress is black or white. SJW’s are the ones reducing it to a race issue.

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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:22 PM

    Imperator Isachukwu – I’m impressed by your trolling BTW. Very subtly done.

    3
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    Mute Leo Massey
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:41 PM

    Ah JK trying to get back some PR ‘right on’ points after backing the murderous apartheid Israeli regime.

    50
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    Mute Lurfic
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:08 PM

    I’m pretty sure that as a highly accomplished billionaire she has f all need for your approval of her political views.

    45
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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:08 PM

    No need for publicity the tickets have the biggest presale of tickets in the history of the west end. I think it has 2 years pre sold already

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    Mute Leo Massey
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:17 PM

    Nor I yours chimp

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    Mute Leo Massey
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:20 PM

    Highly accomplished billionaires should be entitled to do anything they want. They’re above us all, and reproach, due to their billions.
    She might spit on you if you ask her nicely.

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    Mute Imperator Isachukwu
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:30 PM

    Doesn’t say anywhere that Ron doesn’t transition to being a woman after hogwarts. Ron should be a woman now.

    45
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    Mute Fozz
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:38 PM

    Pretty sure Ron being a boy was mentioned several times…

    20
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    Mute Imperator Isachukwu
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:47 PM

    Yes but he could have transitioned after leaving hogwarts. Would be stunning, brave and important if they made Ron a trans woman.

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    Mute Rock Stoneballs
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:55 PM

    I’m actually offended they didn’t.

    30
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:19 PM

    Ron is clearly identified in the books as being a red haired male.

    Herminone is clearly identified as being a brown haired female.

    She is not identified as being white. She was merely played by a white actress in one interpretation of the books.

    19
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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Dec 21st 2015, 5:48 PM

    Transgender is so 2014. Its all about Gender Fluid now. Keep up will you.

    19
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    Mute Lorem Ipsum
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:38 PM

    “THIS IS SO IMPORTANT”

    Yeah, I dunno why I was getting so preoccupied with all that Syria stuff

    33
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    Mute luke frankus
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:00 PM

    Great aul trick this one! When a film or programme is dying out just switch one of the characters to be black and everybody will take notice…

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:28 PM

    A complete and absolute non-article

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    Mute Paddy Kavanagh
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:41 PM

    sounds like an ali g moment.

    12
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    Mute David Harkin
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:35 PM

    More to the point, when will the film version be released???

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    Mute ThatGuy
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    Dec 21st 2015, 3:49 PM

    The film version of a play, based on a movie that’s based on a book. :-D

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    Mute Meehawwl O'Buachailla
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:08 PM

    I’m looking forward to the outtakes reel after that then.

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    Mute Paul Darby
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    Dec 21st 2015, 1:41 PM

    Aren’t the all a bit old to be playing any of these parts.

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    Mute Daniel Mccullagh
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    Dec 21st 2015, 2:38 PM

    You obviously haven’t read the article. It takes place after the books

    28
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    Mute Carol Oates
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:35 PM

    I have zero issue with the casting. I think she’ll be wonderful. As others have said the character’s skin color isn’t specified and it doesn’t take away from the fact Emma Watson did a great job with the role. What I don’t like is some gleeful articles I’ve read today about how all is right now and taking a dig at Emma Watson because she’s white. Racism goes both ways. On the other hand, I can’t be good with a person of color James Bond, because unlike Hermione, the character of Bond could not be a poc based on decriptions.

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    Mute bandido
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    Dec 21st 2015, 6:22 PM

    When will the outrage commence for the other two characters being white?

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    Mute danny fitz
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 10:00 PM

    Only news here is JK Rowling now referring to herself in the third person.

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    Mute Bobby wilson
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    Dec 21st 2015, 10:52 PM

    What difference doest make about the colour of someone skin, as long they can act well……

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    Mute Anonymous Man
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    Dec 21st 2015, 10:22 PM

    Orange is the new Black…

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