Parents are being asked to reduce their children’s play-time with pals over the Halloween midterm.
The deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn (pictured above) said it’s the last message they want to send out but it is vital to reduce transmission of Covid.
He said all precautions must be taken against the spread of the virus.
Dr Ronan Glynn says trick or treating can still go ahead but urged caution.
“It’s not a message that any of us want to be giving, and it’s not a message I’m sure that parents want to hear, but we do need to take the basic precautions. On the other hand if we do take the basic precautions there’s no reason that people can’t do the things we usually do at Halloween.”
Dr Glynn added: “If your children are going on playdates or engaging in sport, think about all of the other activities they’re engaging in and just see do they need to be engaging in everything that they’re engaging in, given how high the incidence is in the country at the moment.”
A total of 4,393 cases were reported in children aged 5-12 in the two weeks to last Monday, compared to 2,930 over a similar period earlier this month.