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Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan said he does not anticipate Level 5 measurements to change before December 1.
Some retailers have questioned whether nonessential stores will be considered able to reopen before the six-week restrictions end, saying the rush for Christmas may cause problems with social distancing in stores.
However, Dr. Tony Holohan is squashing hopes that the country can move levels before the end of the six weeks or that non-essential retail outlets will open earlier than described.
“We do not anticipate changing the current measures for another six weeks, but we continue to review,” he said today at a Health Department briefing.
When asked where the country will rank after December 1, he said it is too early to tell.
“If we maintain this level of progress, we will be able to open some of the things that are not open, but we don’t know what it will entail,” he said.
“We still have four weeks to go as far as we can.”
As of yesterday, the average number of cases for the last seven days is 591, the same number of cases today.
This is almost half of what it was two weeks ago with an average of 1200 a day. However, Dr. Holohan said that this average number of cases is still high.
“The level of infection that we have is still a very high number,” he said.
“It’s the level it was at in early October when we first recommended level 5. People are listening and complying, but we need people to keep it up.”
At today’s department briefing, the CMO gave a special hello to the youth and thanked them for complying with recent restrictions.
“We have highlighted the course in recent weeks the high rates of transmission in young people and that worries us,” he said.
“That has gone from the rate of 450 per 100,000 in the 19-24 age group two weeks ago to 150 per 100,000. They have significantly cut their contacts in half in the last week.
Age groups 19-24 have achieved a dramatic reduction in incidence, from 450 per 100,000 to 150 per 100,000 in two weeks.
They have also cut their contacts in half in the last 5 weeks.
We must all acknowledge the efforts of our youth and I thank them. # COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/NnTzRKIybR
– Dr. Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) November 5, 2020
“Young people have listened, taken responsibility, acted and helped in a very significant way.”
There were 591 more cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland today with three other deaths, the Department of Health confirmed.
This brings the total number of deaths from Covid-19 in the country to 1,933 and the total number of cases to 64,046.
Of the Covid-1919 cases reported today;
- 280 are men / 310 are women
- 59pc are under 45 years old
- The average age is 38 years.
Some 120 cases are in Dublin, 75 in Donegal, 50 in Cork, 46 in Kerry, 44 in Limerick and the remaining 256 cases are spread over 20 other counties.
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