Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan are expected to meet Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan on Tuesday evening.
It’s understood that NPHET members will update the Coalition leaders on the Omicron variant as Dr Holohan has warned “we are hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.”
Dr Holohan has also said NPHET estimates that 11% of cases are now due to the Omicron variant, an increase from less than 1% only one week ago.
It’s understood the meeting will take place on Tuesday evening as the Taoiseach is travelling to Brussels on Wednesday for an EU Council meeting.
NPHET are due to meet on Thursday and it is expected they will advise the Government to introduce additional Covid-19 restrictions.
It comes as the Taoiseach has said members of the Defence Forces are set to be called on again to help ramp up Ireland’s booster programme.
And said he expects the booster vaccination of 40 - 49 year olds will be brought forward.
Speaking in the Dail on Tuesday, the Taoiseach said he has been in touch with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and has said he is “concerned” over the rapid spread of Omicron.
Mr Martin said: “Be in no doubt over the last number of days we have been working with public health and HSE officers in terms of expanding further and extending further of the vaccination programme through three channels; vaccination centres, GPs and the pharmacies.”
The Taoiseach said the HSE will be extending the opening hours of vaccination centres to get as many people vaccinated with their booster jab as quickly as possible.
He said: “We’re going to utilise all capacity at our disposal.”
Meanwhile, executive director of World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Mike Ryan has said a drive in transmission of the Omicron variant will “fill up the hospitals and the ICUs.”
Dr Ryan said even if Omicron turns out to be a milder disease, the rising number of cases will lead to more people in hospital.
Dr Ryan told an Irish Aid webinar, hosted by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), that he is concerned about unvaccinated people in every country.
