The Chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team's Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group has said that the rising number of Covid-19 cases require a calm response.
Professor Philip Nolan said that limiting contacts is a primary defence in combating the virus, and that the number of Covid-19 cases can be brought "under control".
He said that it will take at least a week to see an impact of new control measures to combat the rise in case numbers.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said detecting mild and asymptomatic cases is important in tracking, monitoring and interrupting the virus and despite lower hospitalisations, "sadly we are" seeing deaths.
Prof Nolan said the current mortality rate of one in 20 is not negligible and it is a lethal virus which makes an obligation on all of us to protect the vulnerable.
Professor Philip Nolan (@President_MU) tells @MorningIreland people are still dying from #Covid19 and there is "an obligation on all of us to protect the vulnerable by suppressing transmission of the virus and preventing it circulating in our community" | https://t.co/3C6wuug7FI pic.twitter.com/ZtAVFb3XvA
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 21, 2020
The highest number of new Covid-19 cases here in the last four months came at the weekend.
Yesterday, 396 new cases of the virus were reported, with 241 of these in Dublin and the remaining 155 in 22 other counties. No further deaths were reported.
A further 188 cases have since been reported today.
Prof Nolan said that while he was taken aback with yesterday's numbers, it is a warning to treat this virus seriously.
He said that the plan is to see a stabilisation and trend downwards in the number of cases over the next three weeks.
Prof Nolan said we should be able to tell if the numbers are dropping in ten days and if this happens, he said authorities will "need people to stay with us" and keep working for the remainder of the three-week period to get numbers down.
Key to this, he said, is prioritising social contacts, reducing them and keeping distance from people.
How will we know if the #Covid19 restrictions in place in Dublin are having an effect?@President_MU says "If it stabilises in ten days' time that's a really hopeful sign ... then it's working, and that's the point that people should stay with us then" | https://t.co/3C6wuug7FI pic.twitter.com/seJXtiKaYu
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 21, 2020
He said testing is an extremely important part of the control and prevention measures but it is not a "magic system" or a substitute for the primary defence which is limiting contacts and being really careful as we go around our business.
"Testing is an extremely important part of our transmission prevention and control mechanisms, but it's not a substitute," he said.
"Our primary defence against this virus is to limit contacts to our priority contacts and to be really careful when we go about it. Just as a restaurant and a pub need to be a controlled environment now - so do our homes. So that's the first line of defense.
"The second line of defense is to test and trace the contacts of and manage cases and outbreaks when they occur. But let nobody tell you that the latter is a substitute for the former."
Prof Nolan has said that while you can now go to the pub outside Dublin, you need to ask should you and if so how often.
He said social contact is important for people's welfare and mental health so it is important that people have some level of social interaction.
However, he said that every social interaction carries a risk, so people need to exercise personal discretion about what kind of social activity they engage in and to limit contacts.
New figures show a further rise in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in hospitals and in intensive care units.
The latest overnight HSE report puts the number of confirmed cases in hospital at 88, with 16 of these patients in ICUs.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer has raised concerns about the level of Covid-19 in counties Louth, Donegal and Waterford.
Dr Ronan Glynn said that everyone, but especially people in those three counties, needs to do all they can to stop the transmission of the virus.
He said that while the focus has been on Dublin, which was moved to Level 3 restrictions on Friday, most other counties are also seeing an increase in the virus.
Dr Glynn said that the level of Covid-19 in Louth, Donegal and Waterford in particular is already high and continuing to rise fast.
He also said that regardless of where you live, everyone should try to cut the number of people they meet in half over the coming week.
The President of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland has said that the increased number of virus cases require action now if we are to keep the economy open and support health services.
Professor Mary Horgan said the increased restrictions are necessary, despite the hardship for business and the economy, saying "the onus is on us" to follow public health guidelines.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said the reopening of pubs will be closely monitored and any outbreaks of infection will be reported and dealt with quickly.
"While there has been a significant focus on Dublin ... Louth, Waterford, Limerick, Kildare, Leitrim, Donegal and Offaly are now showing concerning trends". Donegal has seen 102 cases in the past fortnight, compared to 18 in the previous period | https://t.co/3C6wuug7FI pic.twitter.com/K2MdBWBaSe
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 21, 2020
Speaking at a Government press briefing, Liz Canavan said counties Louth, Waterford, Limerick, Kildare, Leitrim, Donegal and Offaly are now showing concerning trends.
Minister confident about Direct Provision centres
The Minister For Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Roderic O'Gorman has said he is confident there will not be significant outbreaks of Covid-19 in Direct Provision centres as just five positive cases have been identified by serial testing across the centres nationwide.
Minister O'Gorman has said the first set of serial testing in the Direct Provision system is ongoing and should finish on Friday.
He said that there has been a positivity rate of .35% and this is enabling Government to have confidence that there will be no significant outbreaks and that the measures being taken are working and need to be maintained.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has called on the Government to reinstate the full Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Eoin Ó Broin said it showed the absolute chaos of Government that in the same week the payment was cut, a minister said it should be reviewed and some backbenchers said it should be reversed.
He said the €350 level should be maintained and it was a vital support.
Pubs reopening as restrictions lifted
Publicans around the country are reopening following the lifting of restrictions on bars that no not serve food.
However pubs in Dublin remain closed due to the imposition of further restrictions last week.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, stringent guidelines are in place for the pubs which have reopened.
Meanwhile, a report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland says that up to 33,000 jobs could be lost in the hospitality sector in Dublin because of the new restrictions in the capital.
In travel from today, people arriving in Ireland from Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will not be asked to restrict their movements for two weeks.
Last week, the Government updated its green list of countries which allows people to travel to these countries, without having to restrict their movements on their return.
Countries that have a 14-day incidence rate of the virus of 25 or less per 100,000 of the population are placed on the green list.
Additional reporting Laura Hogan, Sandra Hurley
