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Dublin is at a “critical time” to avoid a second lockdown, the acting medical director warned.
Dr. Ronan Glynn spoke after it was revealed that 47% of the newest coronavirus cases yesterday were in the capital.
The senior doctor reiterated his call for Dubliners to cut back this weekend and maintain social distance when meeting family and friends.
Cases in Dublin are currently increasing by 4% per day and will double in the next two weeks if nothing changes.
He said: “For the people of Dublin in particular, this is a critical time to address the spread of the disease in the community.
“Individual decisions can make a difference: rethink your plans for the weekend, reduce the number of people you meet, and avoid social activities that involve large groups of people.
“COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease that can spread even when there are no symptoms.
“Remember, when meeting friends, family, and colleagues, staying 2m apart is the best way to keep everyone safe.”
Taoiseach Micheal Martin warned that the Government “will not be afraid” to introduce restrictions for Dublin and will do “whatever it takes” to combat the spike of COVID-19 in the city.
Speaking yesterday, he said: “We learned from what we did (in Kildare, Laois and Offaly)
“We will receive advice from NPHET on Tuesday and we will have to weigh his advice … The most important thing about Dublin is how to deal with the virus to reduce the number of cases and put pressure on the virus.
“We will not be afraid to implement measures specifically in Dublin, if that is the way forward.
“We did that in Kildare, Offaly and Laois. I know that some counties have a low number of cases, and I understand that argument, that there are differences and therefore the same restrictions should not apply.
“The new plan has flexibility from that side: we can assess the situation from county to county. The highest level of restrictions is to implement measures at the national level. “
Health chiefs announced a further 159 new cases of the virus Saturday night and confirmed two additional deaths.
Of the new cases announced yesterday, 75 were registered in the capital.
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