New modelling suggests Covid-19 has reached a plateau here, and the virus has been suppressed.
However, there's a warning relaxing restrictions in place on travel and work after May 5th could see the infection begin to grow again.
The country recorded its highest daily increase in Covid-19 deaths yesterday, with 43 more patients dying, bringing the death toll to 486, while there are now over 13,200 confirmed cases.
Chair of the Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, Professor Philip Nolan, says the data shows Covid-19 IS under control.
"The reproduction number is now below 1.
"Two messages there - an optimistic message or hopeful message that we have controlled or suppressed the disease.
"But an equally important message that the reproduction number was quite high before the measures of the 28th of March were introduced, so if we're thinking of relaxing measures even slightly we have to be careful we don't go back to that number."
