4,181 new Covid cases confirmed as Coveney urges 'national effort' to avoid lockdown

Simon Covneney: 'If we have to act, to protect society and to protect our health system and hospitals, then of course, we will do that'

As of 8am this morning, there were 668 Covid patients are hospitalised, 125 of whom were being treated in intensive care. File Picture: Eoin Healy/Alamy Live News

Further lockdowns are not inevitable, but it will require a national effort to avoid them, Minister Simon Coveney has said.

He said the country can still avoid the return of enhanced restrictions if people pull together and reduce the spread of Covid-19.