Cancel your trick-or-treating plans.

That’s the firm advice of Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan, who has appealed to parents with young children not to take them out on the traditional Halloween route this year.

With a further 825 cases confirmed in the past 24 hours and one further death from Covid-19, Dr Holohan told a National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) briefing that trick-or-treating plans should be cancelled.

“It’s not going to be a normal Halloween. It can’t be,” he said.

“We can’t have children and families moving from house to house in the way that normally happens at Halloween.”

As the second week of Level 3 restrictions gets underway, Dr Holohan asked the public to comply with the measures and avoid house parties, birthday parties, play dates and social gatherings.

147 new cases in Cork

Of the new cases, there were 254 in Dublin, 147 in Cork, 39 in Cavan, 38 in Donegal and 37 in Kildare. The remaining 310 cases are spread across 20 other counties. 224 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 32 are in ICU. There have been 20 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

It is vital that the entire population consistently implement public health advice into their daily lives; keep your social contacts to an absolute minimum and keep physical distance when you need to be out of your home. #COVID19 #staysafe

— Dr Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) October 11, 2020

Dr Holohan also asked the public to use common sense and continue to follow the basic guidelines on preventing the spread of coronavirus: “The Government isn’t going to wash your hands for you.” he said.

“It’s not going to put a face mask properly on you.”