Calls for Covid measures to be re-introduced as cases rise rapidly

There have been calls for Covid-19 measures to be re-introduced.

Medical experts have expressed their concerns about the current spike in Covid cases in Ireland. Over 23,000 cases were reported yesterday alone, which has caused major concern, especially for those in the healthcare sector. Over 60 people are in ICU with Covid and 1,338 patients are in hospital. Professor Luke O'Neill believes people should start wearing masks in indoor settings. He explained that he was stunned to see so few people wearing masks on the Dart this week. He shared, "My heart sank when I saw so many not wearing masks.” Professor O'Neill explained that we need to try to help reduce the pressure our healthcare workers are now facing.

He said we should go back to basics and start wearing masks in crowded settings, sanitizing regularly, and isolating when we're symptomatic.

"We should prepare. Preparation is key. There will be another outbreak next winter," he warned.

He told RTÉ's Claire Byrne that the current variant of Covid-19 may be impossible to avoid. He explained, "It could be the most infectious virus we've seen, amazingly." "This BA.2 there’s nothing like it, it’s 30% more infectious than Omicron, which is already 70% more infectious than the previous one." He reassured the public that the vaccine is helping protect us. "The great news is that a wall of vaccination is holding up massively all over the world and is protecting us." Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation said Ireland loosened Covid-19 measures far too quickly. WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said Ireland's easing of restrictions was brutal. He said: "The countries where we see a particular increase are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy, and Germany. "Those countries are lifting the restrictions brutally from too much to too few.”