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Ireland is at a crossroads in the coronavirus pandemic, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said.
The city and county of Dublin have been placed under tighter restrictions following a surge in cases in the capital.
Harris said the government “acted very quickly” on the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team earlier this week.
We need to unite again. At this moment there are people in our ICUs with # COVID-19 Fighting for every breath The number of people in ICUs, hospitals and the sick is increasing. We have a small window to reverse this worrying trend. We did it before. We owe again
– Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) September 20, 2020
“There is a very, very narrow window here now, where the Irish have a choice,” he told RTÉ.
“We are at a crossroads. This could be in two ways. We have to act now to make sure we don’t go back to where we were in March or April. “
Referring to previous local closures in Kildare, Laois and Offaly counties, Harris said “quick action” had been taken, adding that simply closing meat factories in those counties would not have been enough.
Harris also said that while Ireland is testing more people for Covid-19 than most other European countries, more investment is needed.
He said there are currently about 14,000 tests daily, the vast majority of which are negative.
The Auld Dubliner pub in Dublin’s Temple Bar, as more coronavirus restrictions are placed on the city. Photo: Brian Lawless / PA “>“What we have to do here, each and every one of us, is reduce the spread of this virus,” he said.
“We need to increase the testing infrastructure and we are doing it, but we also need to reduce the need for people to get tested.”
The National Public Health Emergency Team reported a total of 396 more Covid-19 cases in Ireland on Sunday.
This brings the total number of cases to 32,933.
Of the latter cases, 241 were in Dublin, 36 in Cork, 19 in Donegal, 12 in Galway, 11 in Meath, 11 in Kildare, nine in Monaghan, seven in Louth, six in Clare, six in Offaly, six in Waterford and five in Wicklow, with the remaining 27 cases spread across 11 counties.
No more deaths were reported, leaving the balance at 1,792.
Meanwhile, the Labor Party has called for more support for the people of Dublin, who face tighter restrictions for the next three weeks.
Business spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said there are reports that up to 50,000 people could lose their jobs in Dublin.
“This is serious, it is spreading in the community and we need to support people who need help,” he said.
“The Labor Party is calling for significant support for individuals and businesses. So far, we’ve had the usual business package, but nothing for ordinary people. “
He proposed the restoration of the pandemic unemployment payment, the prohibition of evictions and rent increases, and the extension of the bank payment interruption.
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