Families may be able to reunite at Christmas if efforts to suppress the virus continue.
That's the message from the National Public Health Emergency Team which has also described people returning home from abroad for Christmas as "non-essential travel".
Apologies to anyone sensitive about the 'C' Word in November.
Are you going to put up your Christmas decorations earlier this year?— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) November 13, 2020
Government Was Right To Advise Against Travel - Staines
Health systems professor Anthony Staines believes the Chief Medical Officer and Tanaiste were right to discourage people from returning to Ireland for Christmas.
"It is going to be a very different kind of Christmas this year."
"But I think for all our sakes, it needs to be a quiet Christmas."
Additionally Level 5 restrictions are working.
The R number has fallen to 0.6, and the national 14 day incidence rate is 135 per 100 thousand - half what it was a week ago.
However some areas of the country are still struggling. Buncrana in Donegal has a 14 day incidence rate of 536 per 100 thousand, while in Listowel in Kerry its 404.
NPHET has warned large family gatherings and office parties are out of the question
But Member of NPHET Dr Colm Henry says families may be able to meet in small groups on Christmas day.
"The idea of Christmas being lost, must make all of our collective hearts sink."
"There's no doubt about that."
"But the situation is completely volatile at the moment."
The problem with calls for advice on how to travel home safely for Christmas is that, if you do it right, ie pre test travel then quarantine you’ve likely blocked off a lot of time you’d probably booked off from work to return home in the first place I’d imagine?
— Amy Morgan (@amymorgangp) November 13, 2020
NPHET will formally consider recommendations around international travel at Christmas at meeting scheduled for two weeks time.
