A Clare infectious disease expert fears Covid-19 is never going to go away, on account of the decision not to persue a zero covid srtetegy.
Professor James McInerney’s comments come amid warnings from NPHET that cases will double within the next fortnight.
The five-day moving average is nearly 1,200 cases in Ireland and NPHET is warning that cases will double in the next 12 days, if the current trend continues.
Here in Clare COVID-19 incidence rates have risen in four of Clare’s five electoral areas in the past week, with West Clare the only exception.
The latest figuress Health Protection Surveillance Centre show in the two weeks up to this past Monday, 53 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Shannon electoral area, 30 in Killaloe, and 37 in Ennis.
While there were 17 in North Clare and 19 in the West of the county in the same period.
The head of NPHET’s modelling group, Philip Nolan, says the situation is ‘dangerous’, as infections continue to rise across the country and that we’re starting to see cases in over-65s, after they were nearly eliminated a few weeks ago.
Another member of NPHET, Dr Mary Favier has said the fourth wave is far from over.
But despite this, the further easing of restrictions is going ahead on Monday.
Head of the School of Life Sciences at the University Of Nottingham, Professor James McInerney says a mature conversation is now needed about when restrictions will have to be stopped.
The Sixmilebridge native says we’ll never reach the point where there are no cases and that the cautious approach from Government so far is warranted.
The HSE recently reported that 5 per cent of new virus cases are among those who have received two doses.
But an immunology expert is reassuring that fully vaccinated people are between 5 and 10 times less likely to contract Covid.
Professor Liam Fanning of University College Cork says while there will be some breakthrough cases, the vaccines offer very high protection.
