877 new Covid-19 cases in North with Level Four restrictions for border counties possible

The incident rate has surged in Cavan and remains high in Donegal after Level Three restrictions. Picture: PA

Border counties may be moved to level four restrictions this week if Northern Ireland opts for a circuit break lockdown.

The Chief Medical Officer in the North has recommended a six week lockdown to limit the increasing spread of Covid-19 after almost 4,000 cases were confirmed across the island over the weekend.

Government sources say that could mean a level four recommendation for counties like Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan which have some of the highest rates of infection in the country.

Infectious diseases expert, Professor of Microbial Diseases in the UCD School of Medicine, Paddy Mallon, believes this is linked to the rise of Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland.

"If there was ever a reflection of just how integrated travel is across that border, between North and South, I think the number of cases you are seeing in places like Cavan, Monaghan, and Donegal, really reflect just how integrated they are and how difficult it would be to close that," Professor Mallon said. 

Meanwhile, three further deaths and another 877 positive cases of Covid-19 have been reported by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

The latest deaths bring the toll in Northern Ireland to 591.

Covid-19: 14-day incident rate surges in Cavan

The 14-day Covid-19 incident rate has increased dramatically in Cavan in the last four days and now stands at 338.7 per 100,000 people. 

Four days ago the rate stood at 199.5 per 100,000 people. 

The county along with Donegal and Monaghan now has a rate of infection per 100,000 people of more than 300.

Donegal has been placed on Level Three restrictions for a number of weeks before the rest of the country's move last week but has seen a sustained rise in case numbers.  

Carlow meanwhile now has the lowest 14-day incident rate in the country at 59.7 per 100,000 people. 

The national 14-day incident rate now stands at 158.5 per 100,000 of the population representing a 38% increase in the rate in the past week.

Meanwhile, 221 people are being treated for Covid-19 in Irish hospitals this morning.

It is the highest figure since May and is a 47% increase compared with this day last week.

Yesterday, 204 people were in hospital receiving care for Covid-19 while 30 people were reported to be in intensive care receiving treatment for the virus.

Over the weekend nearly 2,000 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland while two more deaths were confirmed on Sunday.