Schools may not reopen as planned after January 11th.

With 6,110 new cases of coronavirus reported in the past 24 hours and six more deaths from the disease, the Cabinet Covid-19 sub-committee on coronavirus will consider the latest NPHET advice on the matter this afternoon, with a decision expected to be announced after a full meeting of Cabinet on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference last night, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said infection rates are “very, very high” and that transmission rates among school children have changed “and increased very, very substantially”.

With 776 Covid-19 patients now hospitalised, of which 70 are in ICU, Dr Holohan urged the public to do everything in their power to help stop the spread of the virus.

While nothing has been confirmed, the surge in new cases is likely to see school reopenings delayed in line with public health advice.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Michael Gillespie, general secretary of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said schools should remain closed “at a minimum until the 18th” of January.

Mr Gillespie said teachers are not calling for a long-term closure, rather the minimum time possible to allow for the virus to be suppressed.

“Schools will open, but they’ll open in a remote context and schools have planned for that,” he said.

‘Stay home, reduce your contacts’

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, warned that scenario models “raise the possibility of 1,500-2,000 people in hospital, and 200-400 people in ICU by mid-January, if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence.”

“It will take all of us, adopting the public health measures of staying home and reducing contacts, to suppress current levels of disease,” he added.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has announced that the vaccine target for this week has been increased from 20,000 to 35,000. The jab will be given to nursing home residents and staff, front line healthcare workers in hospitals, GPs and other vulnerable people in the community.