A leading expert has issued a positive update on the latest coronavirus situation in Ireland as he claimed there were signs lockdown measures are "starting to work".
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said it was the first time in three months he was able to share positive news.
He explained that we are seeing a decline in the incidence rate across the country, but there is continued growth in hospital and intensive care admissions, although this is now slower than recent weeks.
Professor Nolan also said that Level Three restrictions had been able to 'stabilise' case numbers, but not bring them down.
However, he wanted to sound a "cautionary note", and said that we must take this as a signal to "maintain those efforts", and that "this is not a time to relax".
Professor Nolan also added that our national R number is now standing close to 1.0.
He said: “The reproduction number is now close to 1.0 nationally. This is the first time in a number of weeks that we have been able to report positive indicators of the disease.
"However, our experience to date shows this type of progress is very fragile.
"We should take these positive signs as an indication our efforts are starting to work, the critical thing now is to keep it up, the virus will seek out any opportunity to spread; over the next weeks let’s make sure we don’t give it that opportunity, by driving R and case numbers as low as possible.”
He was speaking after health officials announced that a total of 772 more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Ireland, while six further people have died.
The latest announcement was made by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan this evening.
Dublin has seen the biggest increase in new cases once again, with 228 further infections, followed by Cork with 120.
While there has been 50 new infections in Meath, 41 in Donegal, 41 in Galway and the remaining 292 cases are spread across all remaining counties.
