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Two emerging Covid-19 testing centers were opened in Dublin after 133 new cases were reported, out of a total of 231 across the country, in the capital on Saturday.
The nationwide total is the highest number of cases recorded in a single day since March 14. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has reported no more deaths.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Acting Medical Director, urged the people of Dublin to keep their social contacts as low as possible.
He said that given the increase in the number of cases in Dublin, the HSE has opened pop-up swab centers in Croke Park and at Castleknock Health Center.
“While there are a significant number of cases in Dublin today, it is important to look at the numbers for the day in the context of our 7 and 14 day incidence rates,” he said.
NPHET was paying close attention to trends and patterns in the data over time, Dr. Glynn said, “to analyze the progression of Covid-19 both across the country and in particular areas or settings.”
“However, it is now really important that the people of Dublin keep their social contacts as low as possible. It is also vitally important that if you are not feeling well, you isolate yourself immediately. “
He said people should call their GP without delay if they are concerned.
“Know the symptoms to watch out for: cough, shortness of breath, fever, loss of sense of taste or smell,” he said.
The total number of cases in the country now stands at 29,534, while the number of deaths has remained at 1,777 since August 22.
Community transmission has been identified in 54 of the cases and 69% are under 45 years of age.
Kildare accounts for 18 of the new cases, Limerick at 13, with eight in Offaly, seven in Galway and Wicklow, six in Meath and Cork, five in Donegal, Cavan and Waterford with the remaining 18 in Carlow, Clare, Kerry, Laois , Leitrim, Louth, Mayo Monaghan, Sligo and Tipperary.
Men represent 115 of the cases with 113 women affected.
There were 118 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, according to the Department of Health.
While the department’s statistical panel provides updates on the number of positive test results over the weekend, it does not broadcast updated information on coronavirus deaths on Saturdays and Sundays.
The latest death toll reported by the department on Friday was 564.
‘Chapter two’ of the pandemic
On Friday night, Dr. Ronan Glynn said that Ireland is facing “chapter two” of the Covid-19 pandemic this winter, but no one knows what will happen in the coming months.
Asking the public to stick to the guidelines and label, Dr. Glynn said that “the signs are good” regarding vaccine development, but now it is necessary to focus on the next nine months.
“We are in the process of closing chapter one of our experience with Covid and we are moving to chapter two as we enter winter,” he said on Friday’s Late Late Show.
“But I don’t want people to despair just because we are moving into winter, there are many things we can do as individuals and families to plan for that. So the government will provide a plan the week after the next. ”
Stability
In an interview often characterized by cautious optimism, Dr. Glynn said he could see the reopening of sports to the attending public before Christmas, but that it all hinged on the stability of the virus, which in turn depends on public behavior.
Regarding the new rules for pubs and restaurants to keep food purchase records for 28 days, he said it was not a specific recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), the governing organization he chairs, but was designed for the police. a minority of locals.
“I believe that the action that was taken in the last 24 hours was a genuine effort not to affect the vast majority of companies that have been trying to do the right thing, but to clamp down on those that did not.”
He also said that while the government did not always follow NPHET’s advice, this did not faze him.
“It is up to the government to take our recommendations and place them in a much broader context.”
Next months
However, the acting CMO’s focus is on the next few months, and he cautioned that there was no expert in the world who could say definitively what will happen.
Ireland has stabilized its recent increase in cases, but said that compared to other European countries, these rates are likely to fluctuate comparatively for some time.
“While we are here tonight, the disease is stable,” he said. “The schools have just reopened. We need to watch to see what happens to the disease over the next two weeks; if we see a steady stabilization or improvement, we will obviously re-examine the measures, relax the measures. “- Additional reporting PA
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