The Chief Medical Officer has said he is "concerned" about the impact the fourth Covid wave is having on Ireland's hospitals - but offered some hope for the public with a boost about the vaccine rollout.
Dr Tony Holohan was speaking after a further 4,607 cases were recorded by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Monday.
As of 8am today, 579 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of whom 115 are in ICU.
And while this is a fall from previous days, the CMO is still worried - particularly when it comes to the Delta variant.
Commenting on Monday evening, Dr Holohan said: “Our high incidence of disease from COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on our health service. We are still seeing a concerning number of people who are in hospital and require critical care for COVID-19. This wave of infection is driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19.
"“We know that the news of the Omicron variant is causing some concern. However, we also know how to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 – these measures have worked against previous variants of COVID-19, they can successfully supress transmission of the Delta variant and we are optimistic that they will work against the Omicron variant."
Dr Holohan also had a message for anyone with plans before Christmas, saying: “If you are socialising, think about the risk associated with the activities you have planned.
"Remember the simple steps you can take to keep both you and the people you meet with safe: wear a mask correctly, meet outside if possible, avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces and practise good hand and respiratory hygiene.
“Be mindful of your contacts in the days after socialising, and especially consider anyone you meet who may be immunocompromised or vulnerable to COVID-19. It is vital that if you experience and symptoms of COVID-19 that you isolate immediately and arrange a PCR test – not an antigen test."
Despite the warnings, Dr Holohan also had some positive news.
He noted: “Vaccination remains one of the best ways to protect ourselves from severe illness and death from COVID-19. We know that last week, more than 10,000 people came forward to receive a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, this is great news, and we would encourage anyone yet to receive a first dose to come forward for vaccination as soon as possible.
“We are now offering a third booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all those aged 16-years and older. Please prioritise your booster vaccine appointment as soon as you are called for it. We have seen encouraging signs in the decreasing levels of infection among those age groups that have received their booster dose and so, the importance of coming forward cannot be overstated."
