A further two people have died and 159 new cases of Covid-19 were reported today.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases to 30,730 while the death toll rises to 1,783.
The latest figures come as people in Dublin are urged to limit their social contacts and fears of a local lockdown or restrictions in the capital are looming.
Of the cases notified today;
- 70 are men / 89 are women
- 65% are under 45 years of age
- 51% are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
- 23 cases have been identified as community transmission
75 in Dublin, 10 in Louth, six in Cork, six in Donegal, six in Meath, five in Laois, five in Wexford, and the remaining 46 cases are in Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said" “47% of the cases reported today are in Dublin City and County.
"For the people of Dublin in particular, this is a critical moment to address the spread of the disease in the community. Individual choices can make all the difference - reconsider your plans for the weekend, reduce the number of people that you meet and avoid social activities that involve large groups of people.
"Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease that can spread even when you have no symptoms. Remember, when you do meet with friends, family and colleagues, staying two metres apart is the best way to keep everyone safe."
As it stands, cases in Dublin are rising at 4% per day, and would double over the next two weeks if nothing changes.
And speaking this morning, the Taoiseach said the Government would not be afraid to act if necessary.
He said: “We learned from what we did (in Kildare, Laois and Offaly).
"We’ll get advice from NPHET on Tuesday and we’ll have to weigh their advice... The most important thing about Dublin is how to get to grips with the virus to lower the number of cases and to put pressure on the virus.
"We won’t be afraid to implement measures specifically in Dublin, if that’s the way forward.
"We did that in Kildare, Offaly and Laois. I know that some counties have low number of cases, and I understand that argument, that there are differences and so the same restrictions shouldn’t apply.
“The new plan has flexibility from that side – we can assess the situation from county to county. The very highest level of restrictions is to implement measures on a national basis.”
