Health officials are meeting today to discuss the latest spike in coronavirus cases.

The National Public Health Emergency Team will consider further recommendations after 200 new cases were reported on Saturday – the highest number since lockdown was partially lifted.

It means around 1,100 new cases have been recorded in Ireland in the past two weeks.

There was a significant reduction yesterday however – with just three of the 66 cases announced confirmed as being related to community transmission.

Rolling lockdowns

Anthony Staines, Professor in Health Systems at DCU, is warning that the current strategy is not working.

“The real hazard from where I sit is that we will find ourselves unable to open schools because it is too dangerous or that we will be opening schools and then closing them as has happened in some other countries,” he said.

“I just hope that they will give them advice, very clear advice, that what we are doing at the moment is not working.

“That the programme of rolling lockdowns is not working.”

Clusters

The local lockdown in Kildare, Laois and Offaly remains in force this week with 21 more cases recorded in Kildare yesterday on top of the 81 seen there on Saturday.

Health officials have also warned that there has been some secondary spread from the workplace-related clusters that sparked the surges in the area.

Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said the State could do more to stop clusters developing in places like meatpacking plants.

“All of the prevention and enforcement measures that can and should be in place must be in place and I think we have come up a bit short in infections in workplaces,” he said.

Protocols

He said there are actions we all must take to limit the spread of the virus – but the Government must ensure it is also doing its part.

“I think there is very strong advice being reaffirmed by the acting Chief Medical Officer that we all have to heed as individuals but equally there is a responsibility on the Government and Government agencies,” he said.

“I want to see more action in relation to testing and tracing and I certainly want to see more action in relation to the enforcement of the back to work protocols.

“Especially more unannounced inspections in places like meat plants.”

Bar

It comes after a video of staff at a Dublin bar pouring alcohol into people’s mouths on Friday was labelled "outrageous and appalling."

The Licenced Vintners Association (LVA) called for Gardaí to “investigate thoroughly” the footage from the Berlin D2 Bar on Dame Lane.

Last night, the acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said some people are socialising “recklessly” and warned that it “cannot continue.”

Restrictions

Professor Staines said stricter sanction need to be introduced for any bar found to be ignoring public health advice.

“The current sanction is that your licence might be called into question in September or September in 12 months,” he said.

“In other countries, if something like that happened, the Gardaí would come in, they would close you and they would close you for a fortnight.

“That would be the end of it. You could be closed for 14 days but that would give you a strong financial incentive to manage what is happening. To make sure that what is happening is done safely.”

The National Public Health Emergency Team will discuss the situation this afternoon before making further recommendations to Government.