Positive check outcomes hit highest stage since restrictions lifted
Almost 16,000 optimistic check outcomes for Covid-19 had been reported on Friday, the best determine for the reason that lifting of restrictions.
The reporting includes 9,186 circumstances confirmed by PCR and notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on Friday, and 6,752 notifications of optimistic antigen outcomes on Thursday.
The determine for PCR-confirmed circumstances is greater than twice the quantity recorded on Thursday, and greater than 5 occasions Wednesday’s determine.
Asked to make clear, the Department of Health stated a technical problem earlier within the week resulted in a low variety of circumstances being reported final Wednesday. As a end result, extra circumstances had been placed on the system on Friday.
At current, PCR testing is restricted to at-risk teams resembling over-55s, pregnant ladies, healthcare staff and people with weak immune techniques.
The mixed determine of virtually 16,000 PCR- or antigen-confirmed positives reported on Friday is the best since mass antigen testing was launched.
Meanwhile, the variety of sufferers with Covid-19 in hospital has elevated by over 50 per cent in lower than a fortnight.
There had been 907 sufferers with the virus in hospital on Friday, up 30 on the day past.
It is estimated about half of those sufferers are in hospital for different causes and had been identified with the virus throughout their keep.
The 158 new hospital sufferers identified with Covid-19 previously 24 hours is the best determine since January twelfth. The variety of hospitalised sufferers is prone to rise additional because of the latest enhance in circumstances.
ICU sufferers
In distinction, the variety of ICU sufferers with Covid-19 continues to fall, down by 4 to 37 on Friday. This is the bottom determine since August twelfth final 12 months.
On Thursday night, there have been 89 sufferers with Covid-19 in Beaumont Hospital, 69 in Letterkenny hospital and 65 within the Mater hospital, in response to the most recent HSE report. All hospitals had sufferers with the virus and there have been 17 youngsters with Covid-19 within the three Dublin youngsters’s hospitals.
Eight hospitals reported having no normal beds obtainable and 15 had no free ICU beds. There had been three youngsters with Covid-19 in intensive care.
Over 95 per cent of the grownup inhabitants are totally vaccinated and 70 per cent have acquired a booster dose, in response to the most recent HPSC figures. However, solely 16 per cent of 12-17 12 months olds have been administered a booster.
Meanwhile, flu exercise continues to extend locally, in response to the most recent HPSC replace.
There had been 45 hospitalisations with flu notified final week, all sort A. So far this winter season, 136 flu circumstances have been hospitalised.
One additional hospital outbreak was reported, within the west. There had been no additional essential care admissions or deaths final week, the HPSC stated.
