Ireland has recorded another 215 new cases of Covid-19 and one further person has tragically died after fighting the deadly virus.
The latest figures were released in a statement by the National Public Health Emergency Team, led by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan.
As of midnight Monday 7th December, the HPSC has been notified of 215 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 74,682* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases notified today;
- 95 are men / 119 are women
- 60% are under 45 years of age
- The median age is 37 years old
- 74 in Dublin, 22 in Donegal, 15 in Kilkenny, 14 in Louth, 11 in Limerick and the remaining 79 cases are spread across 18 other counties.
As of 2pm today 210 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 31 are in ICU. 8 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “Today the Government approved NPHET’s advice on prioritisation of COVID-19 vaccines. This is an important step in the development of the vaccine strategy, being finalised by the High Level taskforce for COVID-19 vaccination.
“While each of us awaits our opportunity to be vaccinated, it is important that we continue to protect each other in the meantime, particularly over Christmas and in the months ahead.
“Continue to follow public health advice; avoid crowded places, physically distance, wear face coverings, wash hands regularly and practice cough/sneeze etiquette.”
It comes as Ireland's chief medical officer has discouraged international travel ahead of Christmas amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Tony Holohan said while many may want to come home to Ireland to spend Christmas with their loved ones, now is "not the time for international travel".
"That's the responsible public health message," he told the National Public Health Emergency Team press briefing on Monday.
"Now is not the time, we have good reason to be hopeful about the position we find ourselves in.
"We as a country have been able to bring the virus down to levels of transmission much lower than other countries in Europe.
"We have a number of vaccines now and active preparations for the introduction of those vaccines happening, over the course of the coming weeks and months we'll see those being elaborated and hopefully significant numbers of people being vaccinated into 2021.
"If we can manage to keep things under control, we can prevent a surge in infection that will lead to hospitalisations, it will lead to admissions to intensive care and may well lead to the deaths of people whose lives could be protected."
Asked about the future rollout of vaccines, Dr Holohan said the first authorisation by the European Medicines Agency of a vaccine is not anticipated before December 29.
"Other authorisations are unlikely to happen in 2020," he said.
"Our expectation is that supplies of vaccines might follow in short order after authorisation at a European level to the individual member states, of which we'll be one.
"Our intentions are to have plans in place to enable those vaccines to be given to people pretty much as soon as they arrive."
Dr Holohan said vaccines would be given to the public in a "prioritised way".
"The vaccine taskforce is charged with presenting government with a plan to enable government to roll out vaccine.
"That plan is due to be finalised in central government at the end of this week," he said.
"Plans are at a very advanced stage but they have to be considered by government and approved before they can be published. Prioritisation will be set out in that plan."
