IRELAND needs to tighten its Covid-19 public health regulations in order to avoid slipping back into full lockdown, according to an Irish health expert.
Tomas Ryan, associate professor at Trinity College Dublin, says that the country needs to act fast before things get out of control, and the country ends up in a similar situation to Melbourne in Australia.
"In a couple of weeks we could be in a situation quite similar to what happened in Melbourne or Aberdeen and no one wants to see that," Ryan said.
"Even beyond the next couple of weeks, as we move into September, we deal with bigger challenges than we have been facing, when schools open and pubs open.
"As winter comes and flu season comes, we need a more robust system to be doing this. We cannot be just walking a tightrope. We need proper guardrails."
The Australian state of Melbourne went back into full lockdown last month following a spike in coronavirus cases, while Aberdeen in Scotland has confined its residents to an 8km radius of their homes.
In Ireland, there has been a gradual rise in the number of Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks.
It comes just a few days after the government announced it would be delaying the country's move into Phase Four of the reopening plan.
