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People need to plan ahead for Covid-19 Christmas and Halloween “by choosing their friends wisely,” public health chiefs have urged.
In the latest Health Department briefing, health experts also warned that people in Dublin and Limerick should improve their social distancing to help avoid a further increase in cases.
The next seven days are vital, the country was told, and the numbers continue to rise, bringing the prospect of further tightening of restrictions.
However, officials stopped short of saying that the country or parts of the country face a lockdown.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, acting chief medical officer for the Department of Health, denied social media reports that he or his staff planned to tell people how to cheat or treat safely this upcoming Halloween.
He said: “That there is no possibility that a message that NPHET [the National Public Health Emergency Team] said something about canceling Halloween or Christmas or something like that.
“We have not given it a specific consideration.
“I’ve seen on social media that it’s only a matter of time before we tell people how to do tricks or deals.
“I am sure that as the moment approaches, we will be able to give some specific messages to help people to socialize and do things safely at that moment.
“But it always comes back to the key message that the only predictor of how safe or unsafe it will be to participate in activities on Halloween or Christmas or any other time is the underlying circulating levels of the virus.
“Right now they are increasing and we have to get them down, especially in the capital and in Limerick.”
Professor Pete Lunn, head of Esri’s Behavioral Research Unit, said people need to plan to make sure they have enough good, warm clothing this winter.
This is because people will need to plan for the importance of outdoor social interactions.
He said people will have to “focus on the highest quality friendships.”
No new deaths were reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Center, but 102 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed.
Of the new cases, 45 are men, 57 are women and the majority (75%) are under 45 years of age.
Dr Glynn said the country’s 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 residents is now 35, with the majority (791) of the cases in the past two weeks occurring in Dublin.
He said: “We are monitoring with increasing concern the number of cases nationwide, particularly in Limerick and Dublin.
“The next seven days are vital; everyone needs to reduce their contacts and assume that anyone they know can be a carrier of the virus. “
When asked about traveling abroad, he said it was impossible to trust the virus information to always be available while traveling, something he said remains a “high-risk search.”
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the government is now “considering” changing the rules on international travel.
He said he welcomed the announcement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on an EU-wide approach to travel with green, amber and red areas.
“That will be part of our considerations as we develop a plan,” Varadkar said.
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