A top NPHET official says it's not inevitable that over 200,000 people will get Covid in December.
A midnight curfew on hospitality takes effect later aimed at reducing the current infection rates - and work-from-home advice tomorrow.
NPHET estimates over a thousand Covid patients could be in hospital next month in the best-case scenario, with over 200 in ICU.
Chair of its modelling group, Professor Philip Nolan, says it's still possible to bring the virus back under control.
"Our more optimistic projection suggests hat if nothing changes we're looking at 200,000 cases in December alone.
"This is not inevitable - those people are not infected yet."
