Localised coronavirus restrictions in parts of Northern Ireland where cases have surged may soon be required, according to Northern Ireland's chief scientific advisor.
Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health Northern Ireland Professor Ian Young said the sharp increase is a cause for "considerable concern".
His comments come after Northern Ireland recorded 93 new Covid-19 cases over the weekend.
Today, the Department of Health NI said a further 39 cases had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 6,430.
No further deaths were recorded, which leaves the official death toll at 558.
Prof Young told RTÉ News there is no suggestion at this stage of a new lockdown being imposed across Northern Ireland, but said restrictions may have to be re-imposed in some areas with high rates of infections.
There have been 302 new cases during the past seven days.
"The increase in cases is concerning, but I wouldn't describe it as a spike at the moment," he said.
"There has been a significant increase in the number of cases, but it is not spread evenly across Northern Ireland.
"There are some areas of Northern Ireland which still have a very small number of cases, and some areas which have a relatively large number.
"We're monitoring very closely, the number of cases and the local government districts or council areas of Northern Ireland. And there's a couple of those where the numbers are relatively higher, they aren't at the point yet, I think, where we would need to introduce local restrictions, but that is something we will consider, and the Executive will make a decision on if necessary in due course."
Prof Young said the areas causing most concern are in Co Antrim. He said there is evidence of some people becoming complacent, probably because Northern Ireland has had a low rate of deaths and infections since June.
"I think there's some evidence of a degree of complacency among people in terms of adhering to the basic messages that we, like everybody else, continue to promote, keeping two metres apart, careful hand washing and respiratory hygiene, wearing face coverings in appropriate settings," he explained.
"People are getting a little tired of that, but those things still work and we continue to reinforce those messages."
177,000 tests carried out since outbreak began
The total number of Covid tests carried out in Northern Ireland since the outbreak stands at almost 177,000.
The Department of Health NI dashboard that collates the coronavirus statistics does not update the death toll over the weekend.
Two people have died as a result of the virus in Northern Ireland during the past 35 days. When last updated on Friday, the death toll stood at 558.
The Department of Health has said the reproduction rate of the virus, the 'R number', is currently around 1.6.
The reproductive rate indicates the number of people on average that an infected person will pass the virus on to.
Additional reporting PA
