NON-ESSENTIAL travel over the Irish border could be prohibited in the coming weeks due to the concerning rise of the Delta variant on the island of Ireland.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) are considering advising against north-south travel in order to prevent any unnecessary further spread.
Ireland's CMO Dr Tony Holohan confirmed that NPHET "may well have to give consideration" to the idea, and that they'll be "keeping a very close eye" on the threat.
Officials from both sides of the border are due to meet today to discuss the issue and decide what the next move might be for both nations.
Over one in five sequenced cases in Northern Ireland are Delta variant cases, compared with just one in 20 in the Republic.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Dr Holohan said the North is facing a "significant challenger" from the spread of the variant in some areas, describing Derry as a "hotspot" due to the town's incidence of 130 cases per 100,000 people.
While non-essential border travel won't be prohibited for the time being, Dr Holohan appealed for people to use their common sense and make their own risk assessments if they wish to cross over.
