Covid-19: DCU Professor warns of second national lockdown if case numbers fail to fall

Testing for Covid-19. File image

Another national lockdown may be required if the current trend of Covid-19 figures can't be turned around, according to a public health expert.

164 new cases of the virus were confirmed yesterday, with almost 60% of those in Dublin and 13% located in Kildare.

The National Public Health Emergency Team is meeting today to discuss the latest figures and Kildare's lockdown.

Professor Anthony Staines from DCU says restrictions could be extended to the country if the number of covid cases continues to remain high. 

"I think if we get to a place where there is clearly a major disaster going on, our hands will be forced and we will back to having a national lockdown.

"I think that would be fairly damaging and I think it is also unnecessary. If we are unable to turn this around though that is where we will go.

"My take on it is we need to do everything we can now to reduce cases across the whole country," said Professor Staines. 

Speaking earlier today, Paul Moynagh Professor of Immunology at Maynooth University said that Ireland needs to look beyond lockdowns as a solution to tackling the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland. 

Professor Moynagh said: "We need to move beyond lockdown and move beyond this idea, that there seems to be this default idea or notion of responding by going to either local or full lockdown and again I think we need to be more targeted.

"We obviously imply that it is very important in terms of personal responsibility and social responsibility in terms of complying with social distancing, hygiene, and masks but also supplement that with really good testing and tracing."

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) are meeting today to discuss the Covid-19 situation in Ireland and whether a decision can be made on lockdown in Kildare.