Irish health service head warns of post-Christmas COVID-19 surge

The head of Ireland's health service on Thursday said he was concerned that the country could see an "explosive concoction" that would lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases after Christmas.

"The concern is that we get this kind of explosive concoction when we have a major impact post-Christmas," Health Service Executive (HSE) chief Paul Reid told RTE radio, citing an increase in positive tests and a 30% surge in test requests over the past week and expected socialising over Christmas.

Ireland currently has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infections in Europe and earlier this month reopened its retail and hospitality sectors, with the exception of bars and clubs.