The number of people being treated in hospital with Covid 19 is at its highest level since early June.
Latest figures show 134 people are in hospital with confirmed cases of coronavirus - including 12 admissions in the last 24 hours.
There are also 22 patients being treated in intensive care.
613 new cases were recorded yesterday, the highest daily figure since mid April.
While there was 726 new infections in the North - the second highest recorded there since the start of the pandemic.
Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally says having different approaches to tackling the virus on both sides of the border isn't working:
"I think it's a failure of our politicians, to really grasp this fantastic opportunity to have an all island approach."
"If it was a disease in cattle or in pigs, we'd be absolutely on top of this."
"There would be no question about doing different things in Strabane to Lifford."
"It's nonsense, absolute nonsense."
This evening Dr Breda Smyth @HSELive showed this slide.
It demonstrates how fast #COVID19 spread between people over the course of one weekend - and how important it is to stay home if you're unwell or a close contact of a case.
Make a plan today to limit your social contacts. pic.twitter.com/KtL3965bLP— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) September 30, 2020
Too Many Eggs In One Basket - Scally
Dr Gabriel Scally added that he believes the emphasis should be on testing and tracing.
He recommends keeping control of Covid by beefing up tracing rather than with more restrictions:
"Just take a deep breath and look at what's happening in terms of finding cases, tracing, isolating."
"Even supporting people who are heading into isolation."
"All of that needs to be strengthened."
"We're putting too many of our eggs in the one basket of social restriction."
"Which is very important."
"But the best thing is the population themselves to believe in what they're doing."
