The Minister for Health has said he has accepted a recommendation from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee over the waiving of a 15-minute wait period after a vaccine has been administered.
Speaking on RTÉ's Six One News, Stephen Donnelly said the booster programme will be moving "even faster" in the face of the "very significant" extra threat posed by the new Omicron variant.
He said GPs will continue giving booster vaccines to the higher risk groups and "then have discretion to move through their patient base".
This evening, the minister said "it is entirely possible" that both the number of Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations could end-up being worse than last January due to the heightened transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
He said based on information coming from the UK, "... it is reasonable to say we are looking at a very high number of cases in the coming weeks".
Mr Donnelly told journalists at Government Buildings that some of the modelling presented last night from NPHET was "very stark".
He said from what is currently known about Omicron already, "... constitutes a very significant risk for the country".
Starting next week, people over the age of 40 will begin receiving appointments from vaccine centres, with doses commencing the following week. People should not call their GPs, the minister said, adding they should wait for their doctor to contact them.
Mr Donnelly said that people with underlying conditions, healthcare workers, over 50s, nursing home residents and pregnant women - "all of those groups will have been offered a booster by the end of the year".
The plan is to ramp up capacity to 300,000 doses per week and "keep growing from there".
The minister said vaccine centres were only closing for Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day.
Minister Stephen Donnelly has said updated advice means that the 15-minute observation period after receiving a vaccination will be dropped in an effort to get more people vaccinated with boosters | Read more: https://t.co/6oCexHLNeg pic.twitter.com/NHbLq8OhNK
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 15, 2021
When asked about the Tánaiste's remarks that he expected the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to recommend further restrictions, Mr Donnelly said he would prefer to wait for advice.
"NPHET is meeting tomorrow then Government will consider that and make decisions," Mr Donnelly said.
Close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases may have to restrict their movements and stay at home over Christmas, under new measures to be considered by NPHET when it meets.
Currently people do not have to restrict their movements if they are a non-household close contact and are fully vaccinated.
In relation to international travel, NPHET is not expected to recommend a tightening of rules, given that the Omicron variant is already in Ireland and spreading.
Speaking on Newstalk, Leo Varadkar said he believes Omicron will likely be the dominant variant of Covid-19 in Ireland as early as next week.
"I would expect more recommendations around the management of close contacts, recommendations to decrease the amount of social mixing, and recommendations around international travel," he said.
"If it is the case restrictions are required to protect life and public health … then that's what we will do."
Mr Varadkar suggested that the Cabinet could meet before the weekend to consider NPHET's recommendations.
He said the Government would give people notice before implementing any changes.
Mr Varadkar said that even though early reports seems to indicate the Omicron variant may be milder, even if it is half as mild and more transmissible, it will have an impact on the HSE.
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The new variant now accounts for 14% of cases in Ireland, from just 1% a week ago.
The Tánaiste added that this comes as a time when "we were winning the fight against the Delta wave," saying that he found it "depressing" that the Government must reassess the Covid situation in Ireland again.
So far, almost 1.3 million people have received a booster jab to date.
Mr Varadkar also told the Fine Gael parliamentary party tonight that 1.75 million people, or more, will have received their third Covid vaccination by Christmas, and two million by New Year.
Meanwhile, the HSE has told GPs that they can offer booster mRNA vaccines to all pregnant women aged 16 years and older, people aged 40-49 years and people aged 16-39 years in descending order by age cohorts.
Those aged 16-29 years who got a single dose Janssen vaccine can be offered a booster vaccine in parallel with those aged 30-39 years.
Europe taking 'coordinated approach' to travel
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Europe is taking a coordinated approach when it comes to travel, following the arrival of the Omicron variant in the EU.
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Martin said: "In fact, public health advice is now that Omicron is everywhere so one actually doesn't see specific travel measures in respect of Omicron."
He said the key message should be everywhere across Europe to redouble efforts to increase vaccination, particularly in relation to the booster vaccine.
"Without question it gives significant additional protection to people from Omicron and it will reduce the prospect of serious illness, hospitalisations and ICU and that's commonly agreed," the Taoiseach said, adding that every EU member state was now pushing the booster campaign.
He said Ireland would do likewise, with Minister for Health Steven Donnelly today announcing a revised plan from the HSE, which he said would represent a "step change" in terms of the booster programme.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Europe is taking a coordinated approach when it comes to travel, following the arrival of the Omicron variant in the EU | Read more: https://t.co/91uDn8nMbI pic.twitter.com/M81dewIxoY
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 15, 2021
Mr Martin said getting as many people as possible vaccinated before Christmas and the New Year and into early January was the "primary weapon to counteract the threat that Omicron undoubtedly represents".
He said Ireland would work with EU member states to look at the travel situation, adding: "Travel is no longer the primary tool in preventing spread, although testing is still very important.
"Pre-departure tests in Ireland if you arrive, five consecutive antigen tests if you're arriving from Great Britain, so there will be a very strong emphasis on testing."
He said capacity was being ramped up significantly by the HSE, both for antigen and PCR testing.
He said that between these two test types, the HSE would have a testing capacity of up to 350,000 tests per week by early January.
And he said he understands the frustration people are experiencing because of this "long pandemic".
"Common sense, people know how to behave and... people are using their common sense now, they're taking a lot of precautions and flexibility in people's behaviour is going to be there," Mr Martin said.
"I think being overly prescriptive is not the way forward here and I think we must trust people as well in terms of how they go about their daily lives."
He said public health advice would come with a meeting of NPHET tomorrow evening.
Surge in cases expected from Omicron variant
People who test positive for Covid-19 from tomorrow will have to self-isolate on Christmas Day, according to the Covid adviser for the Irish College of General Practitioners.
Dr Mary Favier said the whole population has to face Covid-19 again and there is likely to be a very big surge as a result of the Omicron variant.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Dr Favier said the anticipated volume of cases resulting from the highly infectious variant will present difficulties, even though the variant appears to cause less serious illnesses.
"People should remember that if they have a Covid-positive test tomorrow they are now in self-isolation on Christmas Day," she said.
"So it's our personal behaviours in the next few days that will make a difference to how we manage Christmas and how we manage the next surge."
Additional reporting Fergal Bowers, Paul Cunningham
