Members of NEPHET including Dr Tony Holohan, Dr Ronan Glynn, and Professor Philip Nolan, will appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health to give an update on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the easing of restrictions in Ireland. The briefing will begin at 9.30am and NEPHET members will appear via video link. Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Seán Crowe said: “The lifting of virtually all lockdown restrictions has given the country a welcome boost and this is an opportune time to meet with NPHET and hear the latest projections on the spread of the Omicron variant, uptake of the booster vaccines and contingency plans for another variant.”
Deputy Crowe says “The Covid-19 pandemic is not over and the Omicron variant is unlikely to be the final variant of concern – it is crucial that we reflect on the lessons of the past two years in order to chart a better path ahead for the health service.” There were 10,618 cases of Covid reported yesterday based on the combined number of PCR tests results and positive antigen results recorded on the HSE website. There were 624 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of whom 66 are in ICU an improving situation.
