Calls to Close Schools before the Christmas Break
With the number of Omicron cases rising in Ireland, there has been calls to close schools before the Christmas break. Shane Coleman and Sinead Ryan discuss.
Dr Tony Holohan says there’s “simply not enough data” to say for certain that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 causes less severe illness.
The Chief Medical Officer said that might be the case, but even then there would still be a risk Ireland would see “many, many more infections”.
Omicron is now estimated to be the dominant strain in Ireland, with NPHET believing it’s responsible for around 51% of new cases.
New restrictions – including an 8pm closing time for indoor venues – kick in today in a bid to curb the spread of the new strain.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Dr Holohan said it was necessary for NPHET to recommend new measures last week.
He said: “Restrictions are things that nobody wants to have to deal with, and we don’t want to advise. But they’re necessary because we face a major wave of infection due to the new variant.
Credit to : Newstalk
