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Ireland’s medical director warned of a “nationwide rapidly deteriorating trajectory” of the coronavirus.
Dr. Tony Holohan expressed his “extreme concern” about the increased spread of the virus in the past week in particular.
He said the number of positive cases during the past week has increased by 82% compared to the previous seven days, from 3,514 to 6,382.
At a National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) press conference, the situation was summed up as “not improving and potentially accelerating.”
Additional restrictions have been in place in Dublin for several weeks, but while some stabilization was detected last week, the past four to five days have seen high case counts.
We give our advice, the Government should consider that advice in light of a number of other considerations
Dr. Holohan said transmission levels are now so high that in many cases the source of the virus cannot be found.
He said officials have yet to see a “detectable change in the level of behavior of the kind we would like to see … that is a matter of great concern to us.”
“We have reflected on that and in the usual way we have agreed on the advice and we will provide it through the Minister of Health to the Government for its consideration,” he added.
“We give our advice, the Government has to consider that advice in light of a number of other considerations, and come to a balanced assessment on what is the appropriate way to respond as a country to that advice,” he said.
Professor Philip Nolan of NPHET said that the R rate has been estimated to be around 1.4 nationally, but potentially as high as 1.8 in some parts of the country.
He said that at current growth rates, NPHET was forecasting between 1,800 and 2,500 cases per day by October 31 and more than 400 people in the hospital by then.
On Thursday there were three deaths from Covid-19, along with 1,205 new cases, the highest daily increase.
Of the latter cases, 288 occurred in Dublin, 173 in Cork, 123 in Meath, 97 in Galway, 63 in Cavan and the remaining 461 were distributed in the remaining counties.
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, 241 Covid-19 patients were being treated at the hospital, of which 29 were in intensive care.
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