Antigen tests should be used twice weekly by people doing high-risk activities Nphet

People who engage in high-risk activities should consider taking an antigen test twice a week, the State’s public health team has recommended.

In a letter to Government, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) warned that the situation in relation to Covid-19 is concerning and uncertain, and that while it was not recommending any significant new restrictions, it cannot be ruled out in future.

As part of its recommendations, Nphet examined the use of antigen testing in society and said that people who regularly engage in high-risk activities such as going to nightclubs should consider self-testing perhaps twice a week.

The team also said the use of Covid certs should be extended to other areas that could be considered high risk but no specific locations or details were provided. Earlier on Friday the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) published guidance stating visitors to nursing homes will be required to show proof of vaccination or immunity against Covid-19 from Monday.

Nphet also said that it may in future consider issuing advice on the wearing of masks for children under the age of 13.

A return to a policy of working from home where possible is one of the major recommendations. A Cabinet subcommittee may convene on Monday to discuss this before a decision is taken at Cabinet next Tuesday.

In its letter, Nphet put a strong emphasis on communications and compliance, with the Government being asked to remind people how to wear a mask correctly and when is a good idea to wear a mask, when is mandatory and when it is just advised.

It also said the HPSC will publish new guidance on ventilation shortly.

Overall, while Nphet did not recommend new restrictions, it said that the concerning high numbers meant it could not rule out a reintroduction of restrictions in future.

Working from home

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, said the Cabinet Committee on Covid would consder Nphet’s recommendations on Monday before going to a full Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Confirmed cases in hospital Confirmed cases in ICU 543 97

“I think it’s important that we have a single coherent clear message for employers and employees [on working from home] so the government is listening to Nphet’s advice and there will be a public announcement on Tuesday,” he said.

Speaking in Kanturk in North Cork where he was officially opening a new €1.95 million local link road, Mr McGrath said that the government was very conscious of growing case numbers of Covid 19 so it would be paying particularly close attention to the advice from Nphet in its letter.

“We are concerned at the case numbers that remain very high and we are watching the situation in our hospitals and in ICU very closely and we know the vast majority of employers and employees are making common sense decisions in relation to whether or not to go to the normal place of work.

“It has fallen to employers and employees to make local decisions in many instances and in the majority of cases, employers are facilitating people to work from home where possible while recognising there will be specific reasons for people to have to go to their normal place of work.”

Mr McGrath said that he did not believe Nphet was advocating against such accommodations when people have to go their normal place of work for specific purposes but the government will be considering the Nphet advice carefully in terms of continuing with its current policy.

“What we will have to consider now as a government, taking on board the Nphet letter, is whether to continue the policy of the phased return to the workplace which has been government policy up to now and that is something we will have to consider, having carefully studied their letter.”

Offices riskier than nightclubs

The letter came after the secretary of the Infectious Disease Society of Ireland said going into an office for work every day was riskier than occasionally going to a nightclub.

Infectious diseases consultant Dr Eoghan de Barra said he understood the recommendation to work from home if possible, even though nightclubs remain open, as going to a nightclub is an occasional event while going to an office is a daily event with other people, which is a bigger risk.

Human behaviour was going to be a major factor in the fight against Covid and booster shots would help, he told Newstalk Breakfast on Friday.

Dr de Barra said he did not understand why antigen tests were not being used and it would be pragmatic to use any means that could detect the virus.

Dr de Barra pointed out that antigen testing was being used elsewhere in the world and there had been two reports recommending their use.

“I’m at a bit of a loss why they [the reports] weren’t implemented,” he said.

Dr de Barra said having a third of intensive care (ICU) beds occupied by Covid patients was a burden on the system and staff were exhausted.

Workers in other sectors could “turn it off” but healthcare workers were “living and breathing Covid every day”, he added.

When asked if the health system was close to breakdown, Dr de Barra said that he did not think the system was at that point, it was still functioning. He acknowledged that elective work was being cancelled, but some was going ahead.

Israel had already “come out the other side” following their booster campaign, he said. “There is a way through this.”

A further 3,680 cases of the virus were confirmed in the State on Thursday.

The latest Health Service Executive figures showed there were 528 people in hospital with Covid-19 on Thursday night, with 96 of those in ICU.

The Mater hospital in Dublin had the highest number of Covid-19 patients with 57, followed by St James’s hospital (49) and Beaumont hospital (43).

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