Northern Ireland announced a record number of covid-19 cases this afternoon, with 934 cases confirmed in the last 24 hours. That is over double their previous daily high.
The rate of infection in the north has seen a major increase in recent weeks. The Derry and Strabane area has been most heavily affected, with stricter rules set to come into enforcement in this region from Monday.
If the current rates continue, Northern Ireland may not be too far away from a second lockdown. People from different households are already restricted from meeting indoors, with Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride warning the public to prepare for a potential second lockdown earlier today.
Such action could have big consequences for the GAA.
It was already confirmed earlier today that a number of members of the Armagh senior football team have tested positive for covid-19 after a breakout at a club in the county. The panel have suspended training activities as a result.
A statement from Armagh GAA:
“Following a recent outbreak in a local club, Armagh Senior Football team has a number of confirmed positive results for COVID-19...Read full statement here: https://t.co/HQ4yhAalgO pic.twitter.com/cW7pF7J5uU— Armagh_GAA (@Armagh_GAA) October 2, 2020
With county championships around the country now drawing to a close, a return to inter-county action is only a couple of weeks away.
The Allianz leagues will return for the final rounds of fixtures in mid-October, with the various championships getting underway at the end of the month. That includes the Ulster SFC, with Cavan hosting Monaghan on October 31st.
That game in unlikely to be affected with both counties in the Republic of Ireland, but a full-scale lockdown in Northern Ireland could have an affect on subsequent fixtures.
It must be noted that this is just conjecture, but it is something that is worth keeping an eye on going forward. Strict lockdown rules are likely to have an impact on all sporting activities, inter-county GAA included.
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