Ireland reports 2,125 new Covid-19 cases

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Dublin, Aug 22 (IANS) The number of new Covid-19 cases in Ireland set a record high for the second day in a row since the current wave of infections hit the country in July, according to the figures from the Irish Department of Health.

The department said there were 2,125 new confirmed cases on Saturday, up 27 from Friday, the Xinhua news agency reported.

"The number of newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in hospital in the last 24 hours has reached a level not seen since mid-February. This upward trend in serious infection is of significant concern, increasing the pressure on frontline healthcare services and non-Covid care," said Tony Holohan, chief medical officer of the department, in a tweet.

He urged people who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 to come forward for vaccination as soon as possible.

On Saturday, more than 20 walk-in vaccination centers were opened to the public for the weekend across Ireland. People aged 16 and older can get vaccinated at these centers without appointment.

Vaccinations for children aged 12-15 have also kicked off in the country, with over 70,000 children of this age group having received their first dose, according to the Health Service Executive (HSE), a state agency responsible for Ireland's vaccination rollout.

Earlier this week, HSE head Paul Reid said that Ireland is in the final leg of its vaccination program and over 84 percent of adults in the country have been fully vaccinated.

In a tweet posted on Saturday, Philip Nolan, chair of the Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group under the Irish National Public Health Emergency Team, warned people not to loosen their vigilance after they receive their second vaccine dose as it would take 7 to 14 days for the vaccine to work.

--IANS

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