The coronavirus R number has fallen but a ‘second surge’ is still likely, says Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.
Concerns were raised when the R number had been between 1.2 and 1.8 last week.
However, the R or reproductive number has fallen to between 0.7 and 1.4 and has been stabilising.
R refers to the number of people who get infected on average by each person who has Covid-19.
Donnelly told the Dail today that the reduction was due to the efforts of the public.
He also outlined how the health service will manage both Covid and non-Covid care over the next few months.
The minister said that work was ongoing to put a winter plan in place.
Donnelly added that public health officials are warning there would be a second surge.
They are basing that on what they have seen with the disease around the world but they hope that any surge would be low and localised.
He said: “We are going to have a second surge”.
“We’re hoping it will be low.
“We’re hoping it might be localised geographically but we have to be prepared within particular communities, particular counties, particular cities, for the prevalence rate to go up.”
If the R is below 1, it means the virus is shrinking because each sufferer passes it - on average - to less than one other person.
If the R is above 1, it means the virus is spreading exponentially because with each stage, it ends up being harboured by more and more people.
