Covid-19: Public urged not to attend New Year's Eve celebrations tonight

Fireworks ring in the new year in New Zealand two years ago. File picture: Dave Rowland/Getty Images

Health experts are urging people not to attend New Year's Eve celebrations tonight.

It is after a record 1,718 new cases of Covid-19 were reported yesterday with 13 deaths.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan says it is essential that everyone restricts their movements, and stays at home.

GP advisor to the HSE, Dr Ray Walley, said house parties will absolutely cause further people to get sick.

“Infections will occur at that party,” he said.

“Anyone you invite to a party, there will be many there who are already infected and unfortunately they’ll infect more.” 

Dr Walley said Covid-19 is “one of the most infectious viruses around” and said his advice to people would be “no congregating, no parties”.

He added: “Any meeting or congregating basically has to be stopped now”.

Dr Holohan warned last night that Ireland “is no longer in a containment phase and is once again in a mitigation phase.

“Given the current levels of transmission in the community, every individual should consider themselves potentially infectious.” He urged everyone to stay at home.

From today, Ireland has entered Level 5 restrictions for at least a month.

The Taoiseach said that the move was necessary to "apply the brakes" on the spread of the virus, with the newest UK variant of the virus now spreading in the community in Ireland.