Fears people will ignore pleas to have ‘lockdown Easter’ as daily cases rose to 761

Fears are growing that people will ignore pleas to have a ‘lockdown Easter’ as daily cases of Covid-19 rose to 761 yesterday, the highest in weeks.

A further 18 deaths were reported amid concerns the virus will win the race with the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine.

It emerged yesterday that around 860,000 doses of vaccine are due to be administered this month – down from the expected one million.

Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn and his Northern Ireland counterpart Micheal McBride issued a joint statement yesterday appealing to people to continue to follow public health advice over Easter.

“We must ask that once again we work together to prevent a further wave of infection by celebrating this Easter safely.”

Dr Glynn this week said six to eight weeks of sticking with restrictions and keeping contacts low are needed to allow the vaccination roll-out provide a level of protection for vulnerable groups that would prevent a fourth wave.

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital fell to 274 yesterday with a drop in seriously ill people in intensive are to 63.

However, HSE chief Paul Reid said that figure is still too high a base if there is a fourth wave, and hospitals would be overwhelmed.

The appeal to people is that if they want to meet with another household to do so outdoors.

Mr Reid said around 860,000 doses of vaccines are due this month but added there are “swings and roundabouts”, and he still expected around one million doses a month in April, May and June.

Dan Wygal, Country President of AstraZeneca in Ireland, said: “We aim to deliver 100 million doses in the first half of 2021, of which 30 million was delivered in quarter one.”

New guidelines were issued yesterday for people who are fully vaccinated: those who have had two doses and are up to two weeks on from the second dose. They can visit people in another household who are similarly fully vaccinated without wearing masks or physically distancing.

Mr Reid said that people who sign up for a Covid-19 vaccine on the HSE portal due to open in a few weeks will not have a choice of location where they will get the jab.

He said they will have to attend the clinic, GPs surgery or vaccination centre they have been assigned.

It will be possible to change the time they are allocated.

He said if people skip the queue “we will act on it” and the system relies on levels of trust.

Up to Monday, March 29, 819,676 doses were administered. Around 120,000-125,000 vaccines will be administered next week. The HSE received a delivery of around 112,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday.

So far 32,000 people in the very high risk category have received a vaccine dose and it is proving difficult to identify them all. In some cases, people have been identified but are delaying vaccination until they speak to their consultant first, he added.

Around 280,000 over-70s have received a vaccine dose.

Mr Reid welcomed the overhaul of the priority list for vaccination saying that prioritising people on the basis of age concurs with what HSE doctors believe.

Meanwhile as the row with teachers and gardaí over the change continued, the Department of Education confirmed its secretary-general, Seán Ó Foghlú, who is a member of the Covid-19 Oversight Committee, was told at a meeting on March 24 that changes to the vaccination allocation strategy were being considered by the National Immunisation Advisory Council (NIAC).

A spokesperson said Education Minister Norma Foley “was made aware that the NIAC was in the process of considering changes to the vaccine allocation strategy.

“The minister became aware of the output of that process when the Minister for Health brought a memo to Cabinet.”

It is not known when Mr Ó Foghlú advised her of changes being considered.

Irish Independent