Ireland is in a different position to that of last summer during the Covid-19 pandemic and case numbers are set to begin climbing, according to an infectious diseases expert.
Professor of medicine and infectious diseases at UCD, Jack Lambert, said the coronavirus is more contagious than it was last year due to new variants.
It is unlikely that the State will be able to get case numbers lower than they are now, he added, with 429 new cases confirmed on Sunday.
“The numbers are still up, significantly different than last year, you know, following lockdown,” Prof Lambert told Newstalk radio.
“So I don’t think we’re going to get them any lower than that, and as we open up, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the numbers will drop — I think it’s reasonable to expect that the numbers will start to increase again.”
Prof Lambert warned that those meeting up outdoors are still at risk of transmitting the virus.
“There’s just lots of super-spreader opportunities when you walk around the city centre — obviously outdoors is much safer than indoors,” he said.
“But even outdoors, there’s people congregating, there’s people in close proximity — you’re not 100 per cent safe outdoors if you’re in a group of 20 people sitting inches away from each other drinking beer.”
Variants detected
More than 7,500 cases of Covid-19 variants have been identified in Ireland over the past four months, according to a new report by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
The first variant of concern identified in Ireland was the more transmissible B117, or the UK variant, in mid-December. It now accounts for 94 per cent of cases sequenced, with 6,623 B117 cases sequenced between mid-December and April 10th.
The South African variant, B1351, was first identified before Christmas and since then 55 cases have been confirmed. There are also 24 cases of the P1 variant of concern first identified in Brazil.
Both these variants carry a mutation in the spike protein – the part of the virus that allows it to infect a host – called E484K, which helps bypass immunity from past infection.
The five-day moving average of Covid-19 cases has increased by 26 per cent in the past week to more than 460.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has fallen by four per cent in the past week, with 174 currently hospitalised, including 46 in intensive care.
It comes as thousands of people are enjoying the further easing of Level 5 restrictions today with visits to the zoo, heritage sites and outdoor sport facilities.
The Government is set to resist pressure to accelerate the planned summer reopening of the country as case numbers remain high and only 25 per cent of the eligible population has received a first vaccine dose.
A “slow” reopening of the country as Covid-19 restrictions loosen will help avoid setbacks and a fourth wave of the disease, the Tánaiste has said.
The Cabinet will announce on Thursday what sectors are likely to reopen throughout May, June, July and beyond.
