Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called on the HSE to deploy “all resources available” of the health service that are needed to beat the latest respiratory viruses wave.
He said that emergency measures including extra overtime and the use of private hospitals for any overflow will be used.
Covd, flu and RSV cases have rocketed this month, Covid is up 75%, and the HSE has warned that the country’s hospitals will be placed under their greatest pressure “ever” in the coming weeks because of the expected wave.
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Speaking to reporters in Government Buildings on Friday afternoon, Mr Varadkar said: “My message to the HSE, is that I want all resources available to be deployed immediately and over the winter period, and that includes the use of private hospitals, use of overtime, whatever can be done should be done to minimise suffering and inconvenience to patients.”
He added: “We’ve never had more doctors, nurses, midwives working in our health service, we’ve never had a bigger budget.”
The country’s CMO (Chief Medical Officer), Professor Breda Smith, has urged the public to wear masks as Covid cases spike.
On Wednesday, Professor Smith told RTE’s News at One that the country is facing into the “eye of a respiratory virus storm.”
She added: “Over Christmas we will see large scale social mixing, we will also see mass transit of people on public transport going from East to West, or West to East, or North to South, be it on whatever mode of public transport.
“And one thing we all can do to protect the vulnerable on the public transport, but also ourselves, is by wearing a mask.
“Our population and society has demonstrated how we can act in solidarity with one another and that we do care for one another.
“I think if we are to wear a mask, now is the time to wear it.”
The country’s top doc added: “Wear that mask on public transport and also in the shopping period over the coming week, it’s really important to wear a mask on public transport…. There are a lot of vulnerable people who do attend religious services, so I think it’s important that you make that key decision.
“Number one, if you have symptoms, that you don’t attend the service, number two, if you are in a vulnerable group, it is recommended that you would wear a mask if you are going into a crowded setting.
“And I think as a population then, people who are not in a vulnerable population category, we can always make that protective measure to care for others and to ensure that we reduce transmission.”
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