Health officials warn regional lockdowns may be imposed

The National Public Health Emergency Team is meeting to decide if 3 counties should have immediate lockdowns imposed, due to rising Covid-19 cases.

Ministers are on standby to meet this afternoon, if the public health experts recommend stringent measures for people in Kildare, Offaly and Laois. In County Wexford confirmed cases of the coronavirus remain at 235 following the announcement on Wednesday evening of eleven new cases in the community here. However latest figures to be released later are expected to confirm more cases of the virus in the county. Figures for other counties in the south east remain steady apart from an increase of one in County Wicklow . However a leading expert says there's a chance only a third of coronavirus cases in the country are actually being picked up. Tomás Ryan, an immunology professor at Trinity College Dublin, says that means regional lockdowns could be necessary.