Covid-19: Officials considered limiting contacts to six for at least six months

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group; Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health; and Kathleen McLellan, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health at the NPHET daily briefing in the Department of Health. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Public health officials considered a proposal by the Department of Health to reduce Irish people’s allowable social contacts to a strict group of six for at least the next six months, but dismissed it for being “unrealistic”.

Newly released minutes detail the considerable deliberations the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has engaged in on how best to reduce virus restrictions coming up to Christmas.