The Department of Health has been notified of 7,729 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19, as well as 15,973 positive antigen tests logged through the HSE portal.
As of 8am today, 1,338 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, which is an increase of 30 on yesterday. Of them, 61 patients were being treated in ICU, an increase of 12 from Monday.
The new BA2 variant of Covid-19 is much more infectious and is spreading more and more widely, according to Professor Luke O'Neill.
The Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin added that this variant is a "a sister of Omicron" and that it "could be the most infectious virus we've seen".
Prof O'Neill added that it is almost impossible now to avoid getting this variant.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Prof O'Neill explained that the spike has changed in the virus and it sticks to your lungs much more readily and hence spreads much more quickly.
"It's 30% more infectious than Omicron, which is already 70% more infectious than the previous one," he said.
"Secondly, the incubation time is shorter in someone who's infected, so [it] grows more quickly in someone’s body, and that means it'll spread more because it grows more rapidly.
"The great news is that the wall of vaccinations is holding up massively all over the world and really is protecting us."
He urged people to get their third Covid vaccination, and, for those that are vulnerable, to get a fourth jab against the coronavirus.
Prof O'Neill is also in favour of people continuing to wear masks in indoor areas.
"It looks like now it's still out there and masks give protection. It's as simple as that."
'My heart sank. In my eye I can see the virus spreading over that crowd' Prof Luke O'Neill @laoneill111 tells @TodaywithClaire he is amazed to see how many people aren't wearing masks in crowded places | #Covid19 | https://t.co/v5pDC1o2cB pic.twitter.com/KSvW5HPddp
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 22, 2022
He said if you do wear a mask and you do spread the virus, the dose will be lower.
"So, you might infect someone if you're wearing a mask but that person gets a lower dose.
"That means less severe disease."
He said anything that can be done to decrease pressure on the health care system "has to be good, and even if it's only got a small effect, it still should make a difference".
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Meanwhile, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said the Government has no plans to reintroduce masks or reimpose restrictions "in any way".
Mr Varadkar said currently there is no public health advice being given to Government on masks or restrictions and "unless this comes, we are not going to do it".
Tánaiste @LeoVaradkar notes that 'while it's absolutely the case' that we're seeing an increase in the number of people in hospital with #Covid19, about half of those are there for other reasons. He says there are no plans to reimpose restrictions | https://t.co/v5pDC1o2cB pic.twitter.com/0iWVb4hNoe
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 22, 2022
He said it is absolutely the case that there is an increase in the number of people in hospital with Covid.
He added that what is somewhat reassuring, is about half of those patients are in hospital because of other conditions.
He said the current level of Covid-19 is putting a lot of pressure on hospitals and that may lead to a curtailment of other services.
The Tánaiste told the Dáil this afternoon that the Government does not "propose to make it a criminal offence again" not to wear a face mask in certain settings.
Leo Varadkar said: "The message from Government on masks" remains that wearing them is "advised in certain settings."
Sinn Féin's Health spokesperson David Cullinane said that any decision on whether mandatory face coverings should be reintroduced should be guided by public health experts.
Mr Cullinane said that while the National Public Health Emergency Team is no longer meeting, the situation is still being closely monitor by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan.
He added that if public health advice were to change, Sinn Féin would support it.
"I would imagine that the CMO and the public health experts are as concerned as anybody else, but equally what they seem to be saying is that the harm associated with Covid-19 has significantly reduced even though numbers are fairly high. because of the huge uptake of the vaccine," he said.
INMO calls for wider use of face masks
The Tánaiste's comments come in the wake of calls from the General Secretary of the INMO for the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing in certain places.
Phil Ní Sheaghdha warned that the hospitals do not have the capacity to cope with even a small increase in Covid cases.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said there were 570 people waiting admission to a hospital bed around the country yesterday, which she described as extraordinary and the equivalent of one full acute hospital.
She said INMO members are reporting high levels of Covid cases, which is putting additional pressure on an already busy and overcrowded system.
"We are managing, but we are getting to a point where it is unsafe care and nobody can stand over that," Ms Ní Sheaghdha said.
Ireland's hospitals are becoming reservoirs for Covid, she warned, and being admitted to hospital is now a danger.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said: "We cannot continue with elective care because we don't have enough room in our hospitals and the practice of nursing people with Covid with an airborne infectious disease with those who don't, is very, very dangerous.
"We saw the hospital acquired infection from Covid increase significantly over the past number of weeks. So our hospitals are becoming reservoirs for Covid and of itself being admitted to hospital now is a danger."
Ms Ní Sheaghdha added that there is still a huge problem with poor ventilation in hospitals and there is no sign of measures being taken to correct this.
Mandated mask wearing no longer applies in schools, on public transport, taxis, in retail premises and public offices.
However, it is still required in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Additional reporting: Tommy Meskill
