Dr Holohan Says We Must Not ‘Lower Our Guard’ As 7 Deaths And 482 New Covid-19 Cases Have Been Confirmed

MORE 482 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) said tonight.

In a statement, it said that seven other people who were confirmed to have Covid-19 had died.

The death toll from the coronavirus in Ireland is now 1,972 and the total number of confirmed cases is 67,099.

As of 2pm today, 258 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized, of which 35 are in the ICU with 12 additional hospitalizations in the last 24 hours.

Of today’s numbers, 128 are in Dublin, 45 in Cork, 43 in Waterford, 24 in Donegal, 24 in Meath, 36 in Limerick, and the remaining 182 cases are spread across 20 other counties.

The current 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 is 129.2 per 100,000.

Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan said: “The increase in the number of Covid-19 cases today is an important reminder of the unpredictable nature of this highly infectious disease. The hard work done by all of us over the past three weeks is commendable, but we must not allow our success to date to lower our guard against the spread of this disease.

“We need to stand firm on public health advice: keep a 2m distance, wash our hands, wear face covers when appropriate, and limit ourselves to essential contacts in our own home. If we can maintain high levels of compliance, we can get to where we need to be on December 1. “

Earlier today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin appealed to the nation to adhere to Level 5 restrictions for the next three weeks.

Marking the midpoint of Level 5 restrictions, Martin said the data suggests that the efforts in place are working.

“By continuing to reduce the incidence of the disease, we give ourselves the best chance to reopen parts of our society and enjoy a meaningful Christmas,” he said.

Martin’s statement comes as Dr. Holohan said yesterday that people should consider that traveling home for Christmas is not essential.

With reports from Adam Daly