"We have to tighten up on our protocols once again" - Taoiseach

The HSE has appealed to the people of Meath and north-east to at least halve their social activities over the next four weeks as a significant rise in Covid cases saw 12 patients hospitalised in Navan with Covid-19 last night and 33 in Drogheda.

This follows remarks made by Taoiseach Micheal Martin in Navan yesterday when said ..”we will have to tighten up on our protocols once again.

At today's cabinet meeting, Ministers agreed that midnight will be the new closing time for bars, restaurants and nightclubs from Thursday midnight. Work from home advice for employees will take effect from Friday.

Covid vaccine passes will now be required for cinemas and theatres but not for gyms and hairdressers.

This comes as three people were in the Intensive care unit in Navan with the virus, while nine were in ICU In Drogheda.

HSE North East has warned people to stay at home if they are unwell as more than 55,000 COVID-19 cases have now been reported in the North East since the start of the pandemic.

The number of cases in Meath crossed the 20,000 mark on Friday.

The Department of Health reported 4,570 additional cases of Covid-19 yesterday with 622 patients with the virus in hospital, with 117 of those in intensive care (ICU).

The number of cases nationally up to Sunday night were 498,448 and the number of deaths nationally up to last Wednesday were 74.

Up to yesterday, 3,599,087 people had received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 3,531,343 their second.

236,282 people have received a single dose and 57,733 immunocompromised people have received their third dose.

On a visit to Meath yesterday, the Taoiseach said “We are in a much different position to that of last year because we have vaccinations. And we have a very substantial rate of vaccination in this country. “The booster program is next. It has been rolled out to the over 80s. Now the over 60s and health care workers. The data from the over 80s is encouraging in that the incidence of Covid-19 has come down after the administration of the booster, and this has happened in Israel and in other countries. So the data in terms of that third dose is quite significant.

"That's one arm we have, the second will be expansion of antigen testing in addition to the PCR testing, which is quite extensive in Ireland, and the third one will be looking at behaviour we're going to look at the advice from NPHET in respect of working from home over the next number of weeks," he said.

Meanwhile a Meath secondary school has asked parents not to come to the school unless by prior appointment with school personnel, but to email the school instead.

“All of our communication with parents will be via electronic means or by telephone, as we need to reduce the numbers coming into school. Meetings will only be held in person in exceptional circumstances,” according to the letter, which reminds parents that pupils must have their own gel and anti-bacterial wipes for use in school. Students must present to school with a mask and they are asking that students reduce social contacts and to maintain distance in school.

Critically they have warned parents not to send pupils to school if they have any Covid-like symptoms.