EU agency urges immediate and tough steps to prevent fresh Covid-19 wave

Tough and immediate public health interventions are needed to prevent a fresh wave of Covid-19 deaths caused by variants of the virus that are sweeping the continent, European health authorities have warned.

The mutant strain of Covid-19 that first emerged in Britain may cause more severe disease as well as being more infectious, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) cautioned in a report that showed the variant taking hold across Europe.

"Modelling studies show that unless non-pharmaceutical interventions are continued or even strengthened, a significant increase in Covid-19-related cases and deaths should be anticipated in the coming months," warned ECDC director Andrea Ammon.

The B117 variant first detected in England accounts for 75 per cent of cases in Ireland and is becoming increasingly dominant elsewhere. Ireland's dramatic spike in cases over Christmas alarmed European governments.

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It urged national authorities to speed up vaccination of the highest risk groups such as the elderly and healthcare workers to slow the spread, while recommending public health measures such as encouraging remote working. Schools could be closed “as a last resort”.

Meanwhile, another coronavirus variant with a potentially worrying set of mutations has been detected in 10 countries, including the UK.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said the variant, known as B1525, has similarities in its genome to the Kent variant, B117.

It also contains a number of worrying mutations, including the E484K mutation to the spike protein – known in the South African variant to confer a degree of resistance to some vaccines.

“We don’t yet know how well this [new] variant will spread, but if it is successful it can be presumed that immunity from any vaccine or previous infection will be blunted,” Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading said.

High spending

It comes as negotiations on what form the Leaving Cert will take this year continued on Monday night, with sources suggesting Cabinet will be updated on progress, but it was “unlikely” there would be enough progress for a decision to be put to Government.

Meanwhile, high spending departments are to be subjected to enhanced oversight amid soaring pandemic spending and told to send quarterly reports to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The Departments of Health, Social Welfare, Education and Justice will be covered, as will the Departments of Housing and Transport, due to their large capital budgets.

Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath will outline the plans to Cabinet, and give an update on spending. The State spent €85 billion last year, €18 billion more than in 2019, but €2 billion less than had been projected. Some €30 billion was spent on social protection, about €9 billion ahead of its allocation, with €20.8 billion spent on health, €3.4 billion above its target.

It comes as the Government faces pressure from unions across the public sector to fund "compensation" measures to recognise workers dealing with the pandemic. On Monday the National Bus and Rail Union wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin with a formal claim for an additional 10 days' leave for staff in CIÉ companies.

Quarantine

Separately, hotel quarantine is set to cost up to €2,000 per person under plans being considered by Government. Sources said no final decision had been taken on the figure, with several "hard questions" outstanding. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will on Tuesday seek Cabinet approval to proceed with the primary legislation giving the legal basis to the scheme.

Operational aspects, such as where people will be quarantined, how they will be transported, and whether they will be able to leave their rooms, are still being examined. There is discussion over how to handle people travelling for compassionate reasons and how to deal with children. Circumstances under which someone can leave their hotel will be limited, including medical emergencies, to avail of a test, or if they are being transferred to another facility.

The aim is to have the legislation in the Dáil this week and before the Seanad by next Friday, February 26th. It comes as public health officials reported another 821 cases of Covid-19, but no further deaths, bringing the total diagnoses to 210,402, with 3,948 associated deaths.

Dr Ronan Glynn said officials were keen to see schools open again, but on a phased basis, and the impact of the return of some classes would have to be examined over time, given the greater transmissibility of the UK variant.

Although disease trends were going in the right direction, “we’re not there yet”, he said, and a further decrease in cases was needed. People would still need to wear masks and avoid poorly ventilated spaces in six months’ time, he said.

Last October, it took five weeks to get cases down and "it wasn't enough", Nphet official Prof Philip Nolan said. Now it was taking 12 weeks to get from 6,500 cases a day to 200. He asked what society would do then – be cautious or "squander" its efforts.