CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER Ronan Glynn has made a direct appeal to people living and working in Dublin to limit their contacts as much as possible over the coming weeks.

There is an average of 104 cases being reported in Dublin, and in the past fortnight, there have been 1,055 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Dublin, giving a 14-day incidence rate of 78 cases per 100,000 of the population.

Glynn said the disease is growing at a rate of 4% per day in Dublin, and that the R0 is at 1.4. If nothing changes, the number of cases in Dublin will double in the next fortnight, he said.

Despite this, the number of people in hospital and ICU units remains low, and the vast majority of confirmed Covid-19 cases are among young people.

Glynn said that this provides a “window of opportunity”.

He pleaded for people to make “small but vital changes”. He said:

• Please commit to meeting less people inside your home.
• Limit social contacts as much as possible
• Avoid crowds
• Prioritise the people that you need to see, but keep groups small and see them regularly, rather than meeting lots of different people from lots of different households
• Concentrate on your core circle over the coming weeks.

Dr Glynn reminded people to keep their distance and wear a face covering where appropriate, when they are meeting with people.

“Remember this disease can spread even if you have no symptoms.”

I know it’s a big challenge, but keeping that little bit of extra distance from others is really important as we try to socialise and work safely. 

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