Expert warns of new restrictions
A LEADING immunologist has said that Ireland is experiencing a ‘mini-resurgence’ of Covid-19 and there is ‘no question’ that the Government may have to reintroduce restrictions should the number of new cases continue to rise.
Yesterday, the Department of Health reported no new deaths from Covid-19 but 53 new cases. The average number of cases, over the last five days, stands at 47.
There have now been 26,162 cases of the virus here in Ireland with a total 1,763 deaths to date.
Of these 53 new cases, 80% were under the age of 45. Just under half (25) of these new cases were in Dublin, while 19 were in Laois, six in Kildare with the remaining three spread across two other unnamed counties.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the fact that community transmission accounted for so few of these cases was a ‘positive development’ in light of the number of cases reported over the past few days.
‘However, our five-day average for cases reported is now 47,’ Dr Glynn said yesterday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team is due to meet again tomorrow when it will consider its latest advice. The Government is set to use this advice to decide on whether to move to Phase Four, which would see pubs that don’t serve food reopening.
Speaking yesterday on Newstalk radio, Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, Kingston Mills, said Ireland was experiencing a ‘mini-resurgence’ of the infection.
Prof Mills said that some of the new cases were emanating from the fact that certain individuals were not isolating themselves when they have symptoms which he called a ‘significant concern’.
Prof Mills said: ‘The lasting effects of this infection, even in younger people, is very, very dramatic. It really is a very serious illness for all age groups.’
Meanwhile, gardaí in Co. Clare made a number of public order arrests in the seaside resort of Kilkee on Saturday night, after a large number of young people gathered for a party.
Footage circulating on social media shows dozens of young people, mainly teenagers, cramped together in an outdoor event, which locals say continued until after 3am.
Kilkee Cllr Cillian Murphy told Clare FM: ‘All of this behaviour would be unacceptable at the best of times but it really is truly shocking now in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘And I guess it’s no surprise when we see images like we saw last night why we are seeing the majority of new Covid cases are in this under-25 age group,’ he said.
‘It is a very serious illness for all ages’