The risk of someone being exposed to Covid-19 in Ireland is 100 times higher than it was in June.

The risk of someone being exposed to Covid-19 in Ireland is 100 times higher than it was in June. 
Public health officials are urging people to stay at home during Level 5 restrictions and to isolate or restrict their movements appropriately if they test positive for the virus, have symptoms or are a close contact of a confirmed case. 
For the first time in the pandemic, the 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 here has exceeded 300. 
Back in June, this number was just 3 cases per 100,000 of the population, making the risk of infection 100 times greater now than it was four months ago.
Health officials say the virus is everywhere but is concentrated in cities, their surrounding areas, and border counties. 
It is growing at a rate of around 5 to 8% and the Reproductive number is between 1.3 and 1.4.
Health officials say the goal of Level 5 measures, which is to reduce this down to 0.5 in the next six weeks is realistic.
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Yesterday, the Department of Health reported a further 1,066 cases of Covid-19 today, bringing the total to 54,476.
Three people who were diagnosed with the virus have died. The number of coronavirus-related deaths is now 1,871.
As of last night, 313 people were in hospital with the virus with 37 of those patients in intensive care.  
The chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, Professor Philip Nolan said a reduction of 100 cases a day over the next month would prevent 120 hospitalisations, 15 admissions to ICU and 20 deaths.
“Every effort we make over the next six weeks saves hospitalisations and saves lives, both in the wider community as well as nursing homes,” he said.
Meanwhile, four Fine Gael Senators are understood to have gone into self-isolation in recent days.
The upper house of the Oireachtas is scheduled to sit later today, but it is not expected that the absence of the four senators will interrupt proceedings.