NPHET will meet to finalize counseling prior to departure from Level 5

THE NATIONAL PUBLIC Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet today to discuss the latest Covid-19 data and make its recommendation to the government on the relaxation of Level 5 restrictions.

Overall, the Level 5 restrictions, which have been in effect since October 22, are expected to be lifted on December 1 and the country to enter Level 3, with some modifications, next Wednesday.

The cabinet has indicated that a gradual approach will be implemented for the reopening with Taoiseach Micheál Martin who will address the nation on Friday. The exact details of the plan are currently being discussed in Government, with ministers and officials awaiting NPHET’s advice before making a final decision.

Led by Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan, NPHET will meet this morning to review the epidemiological situation and discuss key indicators of the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland, having brought their meeting forward one day.

The team will assess the current trajectory of the disease and consider modeling data to understand how the virus could spread in the coming weeks, depending on the level of restrictions that are put in place before Christmas.

He will then make his recommendation to the government through a letter to the Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly.

The virus’s trajectory had been on a downward trend until last week, when cases began to rise again, prompting concern from Public Health officials over an anticipated reopening of the company in early December.

The Health Department confirmed 226 more cases of Covid-19 and six more deaths last night.

The chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modeling Advisory Group, Professor Philip Nolan, said last week TheJournal.ie that “we have made great progress” since October 22.

“We have gone from an average daily case count of 1,200 cases a day to 400 cases a day. We are doing very well compared to European nations in general, ”he said, but cautioned that cases have remained stubbornly high in recent weeks.

Speaking at an NPHET briefing on Monday night, Dr. Holohan cautioned against what he described as a “blame” culture in relation to breaches of Covid-19 restrictions.

When asked if today’s decision will be one of the most difficult his team has ever had to make, he replied: “It is never easy … it has implications for people … how they live their lives, the economy and people have been out of work for long periods of time. time.”

“It’s not easy for anyone,” Holohan said. “So I think we should be more concerned about the people who are directly affected by these, as opposed to us as officials.”