NPHET suggest moving to Level 5 until December

The government is coming under further pressure to ratchet up restrictions after NPHET today suggested moving to 'Level 5' for six weeks.

The move comes only two weeks after the Republic moved to 'Level 3' en masse, and days after Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan moved to 'Level 4'.

The news comes in light of yesterday's record numbers of 1,205 confirmed cases nationally, and 63 in Cavan. Ballyjamesduff electoral area has the highest incidence per 100,000 nationally.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin is abroad at an EU summit today where attentions had been turned to a worsening Brexit crisis. The cabinet is expected to meet to discuss NPHET's recommendations early next week.

Earlier this month Tanaiste Leo Varadkar had described Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan's recommendation to move to 'Level 5' as 'not thought through'.