virus fears Emergency Cabinet meeting called over Covid-19 amid alarm at surge in hospital admissions

The Cabinet is to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the worsening Covid situation, it has been confirmed.

Ministers will meet for the second time in three days after alarm was expressed that this third wave is resulting in a higher level of hospital admissions that seen in the second waves.

Higher numbers moving into intensive care could threaten the capacity of the health service to cope with the new strain, or British variant of the virus, which involves higher transmissibility.

The Taoiseach was asked before Christmas if a special field hospital at Citywest, prepared in March, would be opened again to meet the feared upswing in cases, and he indicated health capacity would be kept under review.

At the same press conference, however, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar predicted there could be 2,000 new cases a day by New Year’s Eve, now just two days away.

The Government Press Secretary confirmed the special Cabinet meeting, but refused to comment on speculation on new restrictions on top of the Level 5 lockdown already announced for January.

But he confirmed it was a special Covid-related Cabinet meeting and that all relevant matters would be discussed.

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Online Editors