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Coronavirus in Ireland – Couple’s social weekend causes 30 Covid-19 cases as public urged to ‘restrict’ socialising

ONE couple's weekend of socialising caused 30 Covid-19 cases as the public is urged to 'restrict' social interactions.

Dr Breda Smyth, Director of Public Health at the HSE, revealed the information during tonight's Department of Health briefing where 429 new cases and one death from the virus were confirmed.

Dr Breda Smyth
Dr Breda SmythCredit: RTE
Slide showing the virus spreading
Slide showing the virus spreadingCredit: @roinnslainte

She said: "A couple went on a trip away. They arrived back on day one of the weekend and attended a house party.

"At this house party that they attended they're were eight people. Six out of the eight people became positive with Covid."

Continuing, the doctor added: "They stayed overnight with a family and in this household three out of the four of the household became positive and also three further social contacts of the family became positive.

"One of the couple then - day two of the weekend - went with another group of friends for a dinner party into the town centre.


"And in that dinner party there were four people and all four became positive.

"In the bar restaurant that that dinner party was, there was a table adjacent.

"All six members of that adjacent table became positive and also four staff in that establishment became positive.

"The index case with another friend then went to another drinks venue to meet a party of four for drinks and all four became positive."

Dr Smyth said this demonstrates how quickly the virus can spread and the importance to "restrict your social interactions".

She said: "If you were to halve your social interactions and perhaps go out one night of the weekend that would help greatly."

There have now been a total of 36,155 cases and 1,804 Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic of Ireland.

Meanwhile, also during the briefing, NPHET said they are "somewhat less optimistic" about a stabilisation of Covid-19 cases in Dublin and the rest of the country after positive signs last week.

Chair of NPHET Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Professor Philip Nolan also urged Dubliners to "re-double" efforts to bring case numbers down.