Covid-19 positivity rate has plateaued at 'extremely high level' - Dr Ronan Glynn

The Covid-19 positivity rate has plateaued "at an extremely high level," Dr Ronan Glynn said this morning. 

"It's plateauing at an extremely high level - about 20 per cent positivity in the community," the deputy chief medical officer told the Today with Clare Byrne RTÉ radio show this morning. 

When the presenter put it to him that this wasn't much use, Dr Glynn agreed the plateauing in itself wasn't of much use. 

"I think though the more positive sign is what we have seen in our survey data which suggest the majority of people are now hearing the message, are reducing their contacts and are planning to cut back on the socialisation that we would all otherwise like to engage in over December, and ultimately that will be the key driver," Dr Glynn said. 

Ms Byrne said recent Amárach Research had shown just over 50 per cent of people had cut back on socialising.

Dr Glynn said the poll was taken on Monday and showed that close to 60 per cent of people have cut back on social activities, due to rising Covid-19 numbers. 

He said it was "not where we wanted to be, but going in the right direction". 

"Last week was really the first week in a number of weeks where the level of concern that we have really got across to people, so I would hope to see that improve again over the weeks ahead," Dr Glynn said.