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Updated 1 hour ago
The National PUBLIC Health Emergencies Team (NPHET) has recommended new restrictions nationwide for domestic visitors as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
NPHET recommended this afternoon that home visits nationwide be limited to six people from a visiting home, in both currently Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties.
Today new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in all counties, with 442 new cases and 4 new deaths confirmed in the latest figures.
Cabinet will not meet to discuss the latest NPHET recommended measures because no changes have been recommended at the current level for any county.
A government spokesman said that the Cabinet had already agreed on Level 2 restrictions for the country and Level 3 for Dublin and Donegal, and that today’s recommendations were within current parameters.
Dublin’s Tier 3 status will expire next Friday, and a decision will be made next week on whether to extend it.
In Donegal, Level 3 restrictions will continue for at least the next two weeks starting Saturday.
The 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 in Donegal is the highest in the country at 211.1 per 100,000.
In Dublin, the 14-day incidence stands at 159.3 per 100,000, with 2,147 confirmed cases in the past two weeks.
The number of confirmed cases since Covid-19 was first reported in Ireland is currently 36155.
A statement from NPHET tonight read:
The National Public Health Emergency Team met today to review the epidemiological situation at the national level.
The NPHET noted further deterioration from last week. The 5-day average for cases is now 412 and 18 counties have a higher incidence rate compared to last week.
It is estimated that the number of reproduction is between 1.2 and 1.4, with a growth rate in cases between 4-5% per day.
NPHET today noted a particular concern regarding trends in indicators of disease severity. There are 119 people in the hospital with 20 in critical care and there were 32 deaths in September.
While there are still several counties with particularly high incidence, NPHET’s primary concern now is the big national picture.
Given the profile of the disease, NPHET recommended today that no more than 2 households should meet at any one time. Individuals should only have a maximum of 6 visitors from 1 other household in their home. People can continue to meet socially in other settings, but only with people from another household.
NPHET has further reported that the government will extend the Level 2 measures currently in effect for an additional three weeks, with Donegal and Dublin remaining at Level 3. NPHET will continue to monitor this situation very closely.
Yesterday, Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn said that NPHET had not seen enough improvement in Dublin’s Covid-19 cases to move from Level 3 restrictions to Level 2.
At a meeting of the Covid-19 Oireachtas Committee, Glynn said that “the measures that were implemented last Friday for Dublin, would only start to take effect yesterday, today, tomorrow.”
“We need to see significant improvement in the coming days in Dublin and we haven’t seen it yet,” said Glynn.
“My optimist would say that Dublin appears to be stabilizing. But that’s an optimistic note and I think we need to see what happens in the next three or four days in particular, “he said.
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In Dublin Level 3, people have been asked to limit their social contacts and not leave the county except for educational, work or other essential purposes.
Restaurants and pubs that serve food can only operate in outdoor areas and with a maximum of 15 people.
Events organized outdoors can take place with up to 15 people, but events organized indoors are not allowed and weddings and funerals can take place with up to 25 attendees.
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