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The Cabinet has agreed to a national ban on home visiting, except for compassionate and essential reasons such as childcare.
The ministers also agreed that Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal move to Level 4 of the Government’s Living with Covid plan, effective until November 10.
At level 4, visitors to homes are not allowed and indoor gatherings and events are prohibited. Non-essential outlets must close.
A memo brought to the meeting recommended that action be taken amid a growing number of infections across the country, particularly in the border region.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that the Cabinet had made “two important decisions.”
He said that much, if not most, Covid transmission occurs in private homes.
“All those things have to stop because if they don’t stop, the virus cannot stop. And that’s what we ask people to do, ”he said.
The move comes after the Stormont Executive agreed to introduce four weeks of increased restrictions in the north in an effort to halt the growth of the virus.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin welcomed the additional measures announced in Northern Ireland.
“The data coming from the North is very worrying,” he said.
“We will continue to collaborate with the North Executive in the coming days to discuss the situation and the need for continuous cooperation and coordination between North and South. As we have said before, the virus ignores borders ”.
There were 1,095 new cases and five more deaths reported in the state by the National Public Health Emergency team (Nphet) on Wednesday, the highest individual number reported in one day.
The national incidence rate of the disease in 14 days per 100,000 is 190.7, according to Nphet. The highest rates are in Cavan at 571 per 100,000, Monaghan at 360 per 100,000 and Donegal at 353.7 per 100,000.
The Derry and Strabane Council area, which has experienced the highest infection rate in the UK and Ireland, now has a seven-day average of 992 cases per 100,000 people. The 14-day incidence rate in Derry and Strabane is 1,754 cases per 100,000 people.
Nphet will meet Thursday to discuss whether the Level 3 restrictions have done enough to slow the spread of the virus, or whether a recommendation for further action is needed.
In response to the high number of new cases, Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan said the situation was “extremely worrying.”
“Each of us needs to reduce contact with other people as much as possible, so that means staying home, working from home whenever possible, practicing physical distancing, and stopping discretionary socializing,” he said.
The Irish College of General Practitioners clinical leader on Covid-19, Dr. Mary Favier, said it was inevitable that the government would have to introduce more restrictions to combat the virus.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Dr Favier said more needs to be done as the virus doubles every week and there is an inevitable impact on services.
People had to change their behavior or more restrictions will be required, now there was very little time to decide that, he said.
More restrictions for three to four weeks would impact the numbers, Dr. Favier said, adding that people would accept it if they knew the end was in sight.
Dr. Favier noted that the public responded dramatically and put their shoulder behind the wheel in April, they had to do it again. Employers should allow staff to work from home whenever possible, adding that there should be no unnecessary travel and that people should meet outdoors.
GPs had been seeing an increase in number in recent weeks and this was having an impact on services. While there was some stabilization in Dublin below Level 3, it was not enough and there was increasing pressure on GPs and hospitals, he said.
“The system is under pressure because of the numbers. We need to do something different. “
The solution was in the hands of the public, it was in everyone’s behavior. There were too many people gathered, he said.
The Republic was just two to three weeks behind Northern Ireland rates, he warned. – Additional information: Vivienne Clarke
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