The Chief Medical Officer has said he is “increasingly concerned” over the latest coronavirus figures.

In a series of tweets, Dr Tony Holohan said the positive trends we have seen in the weeks since Level Five restrictions were put in place “have not been maintained.”

He warned that the five-day average of daily cases has increased from 350 last week to 424 last night.

Some 366 new cases of the virus were reported yesterday, alongside 11 further deaths.

Dr Holohan said the country now has two weeks to get daily cases below 100 per day in time for the end to lockdown on December 1st.

People on Grafton Street in Dublin as the Christmas lights were officially switched on, 17-11-2020. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

The Government is expected to make a decision on how to exit Level Five restrictions towards the end of next week.

UCC Professor of Public Health, Ivan Perry told Newstalk that any plan should involve restrictions on people travelling to Ireland from abroad this Christmas:

“During the summer, there were cases we heard about where one individual travelled back to Ireland from Spain I think it was and then went for a few drinks with his friends and then socialised over the weekend,” he said.

“I think there were 87 cases from that one individual. It just takes a small number of people who are careless.”

I am increasingly concerned that the positive trends we had seen recently have not been maintained.

The 5-day moving average of daily cases has increased from an average of 350 cases on the 11th November to 424 today.

(1/4)

— Dr Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) November 17, 2020

He said Ireland has struggled with international travel since the pandemic began.

“If you look at other countries, particularly Australia, their view is if you want to control the pandemic, you have to turn off the tap as it were,” he said.

“I suppose an outright ban wouldn’t be feasible but we do need to put in clear and enforceable measures and controls at the airport.”

A man wearing protective face mask walks through Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport as a requirement for people arriving in Ireland from overseas to alert the authorities where they will be self isolating has come into effect.

While Ireland’s five-day rate appears to rising, the longer-term measurements are more encouraging.

There were 121 cases for every 100,000 people in the country over the last two weeks – the third-lowest rate in Europe.

There were 272 COVID-19 patients in Irish hospitals yesterday, including 35 in intensive care.