BREAKING: Bank holiday appeal from CMO as nearly 2,500 new cases of Covid are reported
THE Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan is appealing to members of the public - in Limerick and across the country - to adhere to basic public health measures this weekend to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.
He made his comments after the Health Protection Surveillance Centre confirmed it has been notified of an additional 2,466 confirmed cases of the disease nationally.
This compares to 2,029 new cases yesterday and 2,148 on Wednesday.
Separately, the Department of Health says there were 457 Covid-19 patients in hospital at 8am this Friday of whom 90 are in ICU. This compares to 448 and 88 yesterday.
Commenting ahead of the bank holiday weekend, which will see more socialising, Dr Tony Holohan said: "With the current trajectory of the disease in Ireland it is important that every individual knows and acts on the basic measures to limit the spread of Covid-19."
He is appealing to people to keep social distance, wear a face mask appropriately, wash their hands regularly and to manage their contacts.
"If you are meeting indoors with others, ensure the room is well ventilated, avoid crowded situations and if it feels like an unsafe environment, leave," he said.
“Be mindful of the symptoms of the disease such as fever, cough, or flu like symptoms. If you do experience any symptoms, self-isolate immediately and seek a PCR test as soon as possible," he added.