The "ah sure, I'll be grand" mentality of Irish people with a cough or cold will have to become a thing of the past, according to the Chief Medical Officer.
Dr Tony Holohan says people will not be advised to go to work or out and about with minor coughs or colds in the future to try and stop spreading the virus.
Speaking at the Department of Health daily briefing, Dr Holohan said: "It's not maybe a uniquely Irish thing but the 'ah sure I'll be grand' and going to work with coughs and colds, that was a kind of socially acceptable thing to do.
"We need to move to a situation where going to school, going out for the evening, going to work, with coughs and colds and sniffles and so on becomes a thing of the past.
"Because of of this disease and that will benefit a range of other respiratory diseases as well."
A further two people have died from the coronavirus in Ireland in the last 24 hours with four new cases.
Dr Tony Holohan announced the latest figures at a Department of Health briefing this afternoon.
There is now a total of 25,383 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland with 1,717 people having died from the disease.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “Yesterday, more than 183,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported globally, the most in a single day according to the WHO.
“In Ireland, in the last 14 days over a third of new confirmed cases are in young people under the age of 35. This is not a disease that solely affects older people. No one is immune, everyone is responsible for limiting the spread of COVID-19.”
