Nolan: Public behaviour over Christmas will determine Covid figures in January

Prof Nolan said it was appropriate to be with the people who were most important to us, but it was necessary to limit the duration of such gatherings. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Professor Philip Nolan, chair of NPHET’S epidemiological modelling group has said that how the public behaves in the coming days will determine the number of Covid cases in January.

“What happens next is in our hands,” he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

“Today’s the day to say we can take measures to keep numbers down.” 

This was a collective problem, he said. While under current restrictions it was permissible for people to gather under certain conditions, as a society we should pull back. It was an issue of personal responsibility and it was up to everyone to take due care.

“This is not the Christmas Eve I’d hoped to have when I thought about it last August.” 

Now was the time to “gird our loins” and for people to work together to suppress transmission of the virus. Restrictions did not matter if people did not take personal responsibility. 

“It is up to each of us.” 

Prof Nolan said it was appropriate to be with the people who were most important to us, but it was necessary to limit the duration of such gatherings. 

If people changed how they behaved then in seven to ten days there could be an impact on transmission rates.

Lengthy gatherings in indoor situations led to the spread of the virus, people should observe all the usual measures – hand washing, wearing masks, social distance, ventilation, he said.

There was now a period of time until the vaccination arrives where “we need to be careful,” he said.

There was a message of hope that 2021 would have a very different ending to 2020, concluded Prof Nolan.