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Fears about tougher restrictions for other cities are growing tonight after the government imposed Level 3 restrictions on universities, which will see the majority of tuition moving online to reduce student movements, to try to curb the increase in Covid-19 cases.
Garda checkpoints are being rolled out in Co Donegal tonight ahead of the imposition of Level 3 restrictions at midnight and people have been urged to avoid all unnecessary travel across the Irish-Northern Ireland border to reduce the spread of the virus.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned on Friday that other cities, notably Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, could have additional restrictions imposed if cases continue to rise.
In the Republic, 326 additional cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Friday, while in Northern Ireland 273 new cases were registered. No new deaths from the virus were reported in any jurisdiction. The number of people hospitalized due to Covid-19 rose above 100 on Friday.
Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn and his Northern Ireland counterpart Dr. Michael McBride also specifically called on adolescents and people in their 20s and 30s in Donegal and Derry to reduce their social contacts.
Donegal’s 14-day incidence rate is now higher than Dublin’s, with 148.2 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while Dublin has registered 144.5 positive cases per 100,000.
In the neighboring council area of Derry and Strabane, the rate in the last seven days is 141.4 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Martin said that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) would advise the government “in terms of any restrictions that may have to be applied in other areas.”
He said the virus thrives in areas of high population density.
‘Very worried’
“First of all, we have the opportunity to prevent those areas from going to Level 3 if we adhere to the public health guide: reduce congregations, reduce the number of social contacts and wear masks in stores and on public transport.”
“NPHET can advise in terms of particularly localized restrictions although, to date, it has been county by county.
“Suffice it to say that right now [NPHET] they are very worried. I was speaking with the medical director during the week and in places like Cork city the cases have been increasing in a straight line in the last two weeks.
“That is a concern: between 20 and 30 cases a day. That is worrisome. The same happens in other areas of the city ”.
On Friday night, Dr. Glynn asked people everywhere, except “especially in Donegal and Dublin, to pay special attention to public health advice.”
“Because while there is the possibility that other areas may have to move to Level 3, there is nothing inevitable about it. We have seen before how people working together can turn the tide of this virus and get back in control of the growing trajectories. “
Hospital cases
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the hospital has surpassed 100 for the first time since the beginning of June. There were 102 confirmed virus patients at the hospital Thursday night, including 12 admissions in the previous 24 hours, according to the latest operational report from the Health Service Executive.
This represents a substantial increase from the 88 confirmed cases recorded the night before.
Another 114 suspected cases of the disease are also being treated in hospitals.
Mater Hospital with 20 patients, Beaumont Hospital with 16 and St James Hospital with 12 have the highest number of confirmed cases currently being treated, according to the report.
The number of ICU patients decreased from 17 to 16 last night. Mater, Portlaoise and Wexford Hospitals do not currently have free critical care beds, although 45 critical care beds are available throughout the system.
Meanwhile, the latest epidemiological data confirm that Donegal has overtaken Dublin as the county with the highest incidence of the virus in the Republic.
As of Thursday, Donegal had a 14-day incidence of 148.2 per 100,000 people, compared with 144.5 in Dublin, the report from the Center for Health Protection Surveillance shows.
The incidence in Louth was 107.8 and in Waterford, 86.9.
The incidence in the worst affected area of Dublin, the North West, increased from 200.3 to 207.1
Compared to the previous day, the incidence in Donegal grew by 21 percent, which in Dublin and Louth increased only slightly while in Waterford it decreased.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, incidence rates increased in 11 countries, decreased in another 11 counties, and were unchanged in another four. Within Dublin, rates increased slightly in all regions except South East Dublin.
This appears to show that calls by public health officials for people to limit contacts and follow the guidelines are working.
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