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Ireland\u2019s Covid-19 international travel restrictions are \u201cappropriate\u201d and should remain in place over the Christmas period, a National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) member has said.<\/p>\nIreland\u2019s Covid-19 international travel restrictions are \u201cappropriate\u201d and should remain in place over the Christmas period, a National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) member has said.<\/p>\n
Dr Mary Favier also said there had been a \u201cfraying around the edges\u201d in support for Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions and \u201ccomplacency and fatigue\u201d had set in among the public.<\/p>\n
Her comments come as chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned on Sunday that the average five-day Covid-19 case number was rising as the country heads into the fifth of six weeks of lockdown.<\/p>\n
A further 378 cases of Covid-19 were notified to the Department of Health on Sunday.<\/p>\n
One more death related to the virus was also reported.<\/p>\n
As of 8am on Monday there were 276 people in hospital with coronavirus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe restrictions on travel are appropriate now and unfortunately they\u2019re going to be appropriate in five\/six weeks\u2019 time over the Christmas period,\u201d Ms Favier told RT\u00c9\u2019s Morning Ireland program on Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe virus doesn\u2019t know the boundaries of a festive season.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cThat\u2019s really hard but we will have to find a way to manage it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Favier also said people coming into the country would need to follow public health advice to self-isolate for 14 days regardless of whether they have a negative test result. Otherwise she warned there was a risk of the disease spreading.<\/p>\n
\u201cA not-detected test five days after you come into the country doesn\u2019t mean you couldn\u2019t seed a cluster on the sixth or the seventh day,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n
Dr Favier also said she was concerned about the increase in Covid-19 cases in recent days, adding that it was \u201cdemoralizing\u201d for everyone who was trying to do their best.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a fraying around the edges. We\u2019ve seen cases where it\u2019s the social congregations out on the street, whether it\u2019s in workplaces, whether it\u2019s around funerals. Of people taking their eye off the ball,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is really concerning because so many people are doing such a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking on the same program, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said it was too early for people to book flights home for Christmas.<\/p>\n
But Simon Coveney said that advice could change, depending on the success of the Level 5 restrictions. He noted the five-day incidence rate has increased in recent days, and said the country did not want to be facing the prospect of a third lockdown in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe advice is the advice today. That advice may change in two weeks\u2019 time\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s too early for people to be booking flights at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about the Government\u2019s preparations in anticipation of a vaccine being made available, Mr Coveney refused to put a timeline on the introduction of the vaccine in Ireland but said the Government would be ready.<\/p>\n
He told RT\u00c9\u2019s Morning Ireland: \u201cWe will start the process of rolling out a vaccine as soon as a vaccine is available. But I think it\u2019s important that we don\u2019t raise expectations in terms of dates without being able to back that up. I\u2019m not going to give you a timeline until I have an informed view of what that timeline is.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen vaccines get approved, and I think it is likely to be when rather than if, we will be ready. We will have a task force that is already focusing on how that is going to work, to make sure that we can be as effective as we possibly can be in ensuring that we get vaccines to as many people as possible as quickly as possible, and of course that we target the most vulnerable people first.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Dr Holohan said the average daily five-day case count was rising and was now more than 400 cases per day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a worrying development which has persisted for the last few days,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are seeing a number of things which concern us. There are examples of small numbers of people congregating for social purposes and simply ignoring the important public health messages. They are putting our collective progress at risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also seeing a number of outbreaks across the country. These include outbreaks in association with funerals. We understand that this is a difficult time for families but it is really important that we do everything we can to avoid the circumstances which promote transmission of the virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have also been outbreaks associated with workplace settings. As we head into a new working week, we need stay at home other than for essential reasons and for personal exercise within 5km. Anyone who can work from home, should work from home.\u201d<\/p>\n