James Cox
A member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) says further restrictions won't ease at the beginning of September if Covid cases continue to rise.
The five-day moving average has increased by 27 per cent in the past two weeks, and now stands at 1,854.
1,558 new cases were confirmed yesterday.
The Government is due to announce a plan for the easing, or removal, of the remaining restrictions by the end of this month.
Reopening
But Dr Mary Favier says further reopening may have to be delayed.
She said: “If we continue to see a rise in Covid numbers over the next two or three weeks, I think we won't be in a position to ease restrictions any further and that will have to wait another two or three weeks.”
Dr Favier added: “It's going to come down to our personal behaviour and what we do now, the big challenges on the horizon are around getting schools and universities, third levels, back to education in early September and an easing of restrictions may have to wait until after that is successfully achieved.”
