COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ireland up by a third

Dublin [Ireland], June 21: Ireland's health authorities said as of 8 a.m. on Monday, there were 606 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the country, an increase of 153 people, or 33.77 percent, compared with a week ago, putting increased pressure on hospitals.
Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of the Health Service Executive (HSE), a state agency responsible for public health services, told local media on Monday that the rise in the number of COVID-19 people in hospitals is largely driven by a sub-type of the Omicron variant and over 70 percent of the confirmed cases now in Ireland is caused by this sub-type.
He said that this new variant of the virus does not seem to be more virulent or aggressive though it is more transmissible.
He said that the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in intensive care units has remained stable despite a spike in the COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country over the past week.
He also said that over half of the COVID-19 patients in hospitals have not received their booster vaccines and more than a third have not even got vaccinated in the first place.
Late last week, Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer with the Irish Department of Health, warned the government in a letter that "If the recent rising trend in hospitalized cases continues, we are likely to see increased pressure on the hospital system over the coming weeks."
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization has called on the government to reintroduce wearing of face masks due to rising COVID-19 hospitalizations.
But Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Sunday that the public health advice received by his government at the moment is not to go back to wearing of face masks in public places, according to a report of Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE.
However, he appealed to people "who are not vaccinated or haven't taken their fourth vaccination" to get vaccinated as "vaccination works in terms of preventing serious illness and death."
Currently, the Irish government is encouraging people aged above 65 to take the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: Xinhua