Waterford has gone from near lockdown to having the lowest Covid-19 rate in Ireland in just two weeks.
On September 21, the county had a two week incidence rate of 98.1, with then acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn warning the county that restrictions were on the horizon.
On that same date the top doctor asked the people of Waterford, Donegal and Louth to follow a number of steps.
Dr Glynn said: "It is vital that people in all counties, but in these in particular, do all they can to break chains of transmission over the next seven days. We are not powerless in dictating the course of this disease;
"1. Wash your hands regularly.
"2. Take a step back and keep your distance.
"3. Assume you or those you meet may be infectious and act accordingly
"4. Wear a face covering.
"5. Avoid crowds.
"6. Download the Covidtracker app.
"7. Do not go to work if you have any concerning symptoms - isolate and phone your GP.
"8. Encourage one another.
"There is one additional ask this Sunday evening for everyone (regardless of where you live) - try to meet half as many people this week as you did last week."
Fast forward to October 6 and Waterford now has the lowest rate in the country at 31.8.
The county has cut the rate in three in the space of just two weeks - with many more counties now being asked to try and do the same.
Save Christmas
The whole country is being asked to perform similarly to Waterford in order to save Christmas this year.
Professor Philip Nolan added: “We can still save Christmas I presume, if we do the right thing over the next three weeks."
