Various COVID-19s present in Ireland, new loops are required

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Irish health leaders believe that a new variant of COVID-19 found in nearby Britain is present in Ireland, but are not only responsible for the rapid spread of the a disease that requires restrictions longer than those mentioned just 24 hours ago.

Attendance from at least the second week of December of the variant is more contagious based on preliminary data from a selection of samples from last weekend, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) said in a statement.

Around 30,000 people have traveled to Ireland from Britain in the last two weeks, mainly to see a family for the Christmas holidays.

The number of people in Ireland diagnosed with COVID-19 – the so-called reproduction number – has risen to 1.5 to 1.8, the highest level since March. NPHET also made new anonymous proposals to the government, a day after ministers slammed COVID-19 restrictions.

“Every symptom of the disease is rising and rising rapidly. Our level of concern is growing, ”Chief Medical Officer for Ireland Tony Holohan said in a statement.

Holohan declined to comment at a press conference on the new proposals. Ireland will close restaurants, pubs and some shops from Thursday in a third closure that ministers say will last until early March.

The health authority reported 938 new cases on Wednesday. The head of the COVID-19 modeling group, Philip Nolan, said the average 1,000 daily cases would be well into the new year, even though the number of reproductions could be cut sharply to close to 1.

But he said the restrictions announced on Tuesday would not be enough to achieve that and if the R number only drops to 1.2, Ireland will reach 2,000 cases every day by February.

Unlike the six weeks of strict restrictions lifted in early December, gyms and most retailers as department stores are allowed to stay open. Some house mixing is also allowed until January 1st.

“Given the nature of the measures and the experience we have had so far, it is difficult to see how that series of measures would bring reproduction back under 1,” he said.