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Covid-19 Ireland: Over 31,000 new cases confirmed as hospitalisations pass 1,000
There are 42 patients in ICU with the virus
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The Department of Health has confirmed 31,890 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
The number includes positive antigen tests recorded on the HSE portal on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and positive PCR tests confirmed on Saturday, Sunday and today.
As of 8am today, 1,042 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of whom 42 are in ICU.
Read more: Covid-19 Ireland: Hospitalisations surge past 1,000 in levels not seen since fourth wave
An infectious disease expert has warned that masks should be worn on public transport and in retail settings.
Dr Jack Lambart, a consultant at the Mater Hospital, told Newstalk today that Covid-19 is “still a serious virus”.
He said: “I continue to use all the Covid-19 prevention strategies.
“The message I don’t think the Irish public are getting is, this is a serious virus. It is not a killer but it’s still a serious virus.
“The vaccines have helped make it less of a killer. People who are vaccinated are getting infected, but they are not ending up as sick as they would if they weren’t vaccinated but they are still getting sick.
“It is still infecting people. The message is that we should be continuing to wear masks. We should be continuing to hand wash. The Covid-19 mitigation message have just gone totally from the public airspace, nobody is being told that.”
Read more: Top Irish doctors warn “this isn’t over” amid worrying virus surge
Read more: Professor Luke O’Neill labels new Covid-19 variant as ‘one to watch’
Dr Lambart said he doesn’t think “people seem to realise the contagiousness” of Covid-19.
He said: “Whether (mask wearing) is mandatory or not, I think there should be a message, clearly, from our Government, that people should continue to do the right thing.
“I don’t want to go into a shop and cough on an elderly person and then they are going to end up sick in the hospital. They may not end up dying but they are ending up with serious morbidities.
“So, I just think we need to collectively continue to wear masks on public transportation, in shops and in all these kinds of places.
“That is gone by the wayside. I don’t think people seem to realise the contagiousness of this virus and the fact that it is serious for certain populations.”
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