125 people are now in ICU.

Following a dramatic deterioration in public health over the last two weeks, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan gave an interview on Monday to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

Holohan laid the responsibility for the spread of the virus at the feet of individuals.

“We have a growing level of infection that need not happen,” he said. “It is not inevitable that they will pick up this infection. If we get that behaviour, if you like, as good as it can be – cut down the people who are most likely to spread this infection from circulating in the population – we can have an impact in terms of transmission.”

“Government can’t make people do that.”

Holohan said that he hoped some improvement would be seen this week thanks to changes made to safety measures last week, such as the introduction of a midnight curfew for hospitality, however, he conceded that “significant” improvements are “unlikely” by the time NPHET plans to meet on Thursday.

Other key takeaways from the interview included firm advice that children with symptoms should not be sent into school, and that anyone with symptoms should take a PCR test rather than an antigen test.

“We’re achieving extraordinary levels of suppression of transmission of this virus already with the high levels of vaccination and with the adherence to the measures,” Holohan said, striking a positive note.

4,181 new cases of Covid were confirmed yesterday, with 125 people in ICU.