Full vaccination is the best protection against Covid-19, says CMO
Donegal still registering highest Covid-19 rates per 100,000
As Donegal recorded an additional 570 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the latest seven days figures available on the spread of the disease, the country’s Chief Medical Officer has said that full vaccination is the best protection against Covid-19.
"While no vaccine is 100% effective in this way, these breakthrough infections that occur are generally much less severe, and they are associated with less risk of hospitalisation.
“Vaccination programmes are one of the greatest public health developments of our time. Not only are the Covid-19 vaccines available to you in Ireland all highly effective and very safe, but they are our road out of this pandemic," he said.
"Vaccination enables protection of the whole community, including the most vulnerable.
"Getting vaccinated is an important preventative tool personally, but it is also an act of solidarity from an individual to wider society - an act that keeps one another protected, and ensures the continued safe reopening of our society and economy," he added.
With 1,331 confirmed cases over the last 14 days in Donegal, the current incidence rate remains the highest in the country, at 836.1 per 100,000 of its population, in a HPSC report from August 3.
Over the bank holiday weekend there was a large uptake of vaccines for the over 16s at two walk-in vaccination centres based at Letterkenny IT and Carndonagh.
LUH pressures
12 Covid-19 patients were being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital on Tuesday night, with two of the patients being treated in the high dependency, intensive care unit.
And wider pressures at Letterkenny University Hospital have been added to by the numbers of people currently seeking general bed admissions.
On Wednesday morning, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said that the number of patients awaiting bed admissions stood at 28, six in the Emergency Department, with the remainder waiting on beds on other wards.
It also comes as the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) met with Government officials yesterday to seek a further easing of public health restrictions in the hospitality sector, including the extension of establishments beyond the current 11.30pm.
It also emerged yesterday that a group of legal experts from Trinity College have sought clarification over the relationship between government and National Public Health Emergency (NPHET) over the decision-making process for public health restrictions.