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THE IDEA OF ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown cannot be ruled out, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told his parliamentary party meeting this evening.
The Tánaiste told his Fine Gael party colleagues that it is inevitable that cases will rise over the next couple of weeks, stating that this has always been the likely scenario heading into winter.
However, he said while cases are rising, it is different to the previous wave because hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths have not seen a surge.
The Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting was also told that a circuit breaker was not contained in the current government roadmap for Living with Covid-19, and that would need to be planned for.
Other senior government sources have also said that such circuit break restrictions are “not off the table”.
The idea of a ‘circuit breaker’ is for a short, sharp period of tightened restrictions intended to curb a rise in coronavirus cases. The temporary lockdown in New Zealand is seen by some as circuit break that gave contact tracers the time to get on top of case numbers.
It has been mooted recently for Northern Ireland in order to help lower Covid-19 numbers there, with Scotland also considering such a move.
Following Monday’s meeting between the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and the Taoiseach, the talk in government circles was that NPHET tried to bounce the government into a circuit breaker situation without consultation.
When asked if such a move could be a runner in Ireland, a senior government source said:
“It’s not off the table if the situation deteriorates and we hit criteria for Level 5.”
Another said: “Nothing off the table.”
They added that “everything is being monitored” and there is “continuous assessment” of the virus situation.
“We may yet have to do a circuit break,” added another, stating the circuit break options “need to be worked up” and “thought through”.
NPHET’s plan ‘not thought through’
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told RTÉ presenter Claire Byrne on Monday that what NPHET was proposing in the Level 5 advice was a circuit breaker.
He said it had not been tried anywhere in Europe, including some countries that have much higher cases that Ireland.
The “short, sharp shock” is a bid to stop the transmission of the disease suddenly, explained Varadkar.
However, he said he didn’t believe NPHET’s idea “had been thought through properly”.
Varadkar said a number of questions were posed to the NPHET team at the meeting on Monday, such as how long would it last for? What would happen if it didn’t work? Would the strategy be abandoned?
He said they also asked the public health experts if the schools would remain open, stating that the Taoiseach and ministers were not sure they could.
Varadkar said NPHET had not contemplated any of the questions.
“We need to plan for this kind of thing,” he said.
He added that government would need to know what to say to people who would have to get the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and it would have to be organised with the Department of Social Protection.
“If we go for something like that… something experimental, it would require proper thought, proper consultation, and a Plan B if it doesn’t work and NPHET didn’t have any of that,” said Varadkar.
However, it is understood that those possible options for circuit breaks are being worked up by government.
Yesterday, while there was speculation that Holohan was meeting with the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste at Government Buildings, it is believed he was meeting the country’s top civil servant, Martin Fraser.
Fraser is the Secretary General of the Department of An Taoiseach and also chairs the civil service sub-committee group which filters NPHET advice for issues around practicalities before it makes its way to Cabinet for consideration.
The group was established as an extra layer of oversight so as the health advice and all its implications could be considered.
The term ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown originates from Singapore, where it tried the measure in April during the height of the first wave of coronavirus.
The North’s Minister for Finance Conor Murphy has said the Northern Executive might have to look at circuit breaker restrictions, adding it would be preferable if this happened on an all-island basis.
According to The Irish Times, the Executive is understood to be considering a two- or three-week lockdown around Halloween at the end of the month.
While senior sources here have said it is something being considered, whether it works in other countries which are implementing such circuit breaks is something being watched closely.
While the idea might be under consideration there are big reservations about it, and the damage it could also cause.
Any move to adopt a circuit break here would have to short and sharp, most likely for a maximum period of two weeks. What such a move would mean for the government’s roadmap and where it fits in would also have to clarified, but sources indicate that if cases continue to rise such a measure may be on the horizon.
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So basically less than 24hrs after he eviscerated the CMO on national tv fir saying the same thing he now suggests it! His attack has emboldened covidiots and 5Gemmas who are already ignoring public health advice. Leo is a danger to the elderly and unwell in this country and not just because of his beloved Tory policies
@Craic-Hommy: would you give it a rest
@Craic-Hommy: That’s a perfectly cromulent point.
@James Fox: Excuse me?
@Craic-Hommy: 100% agree with 1st 2 sentences of your comment,I was thinking the same myself!
@Nuala Mc Namara: if you agree with the first two the second locality follows in my opinion
@Craic-Hommy: I have been critical of Government lack of urgent effective response to the ongoing National Health Emergency developing over the years way before this coronavirus pandemic hit us.
In the Exit Poll done after people voted in the General Election this year asking why they voted the way they did,the majority put Health as the No 1 Reason!
@Craic-Hommy: What a 24 carat plonker Varadkar really is, shooting his mouth off yesterday and today and now he tries to claw his way back as he knows a level 4 or 5 is on the way. Circuit Breaker, another new term to confuse the masses, does that have some film reference? He should consider getting out of politics, it’s not for him and he has little to offer us.
@Eddie O’Neill: Fair play Eddie your spot on, the man is a phoney.
No. This is shock and awe to distract and nothing more.
If Dublin and Donegal were policed properly when they went in to LV 3.5 then they wouldn’t have had the chance to spread it so liberally everywhere they went. (Sorry to single out the people of Dublin and Donegal). Raves until 5am with hundreds, street parties en-masse in Dublin and we all suffer because the Gardai cannot police our streets?
They have the COVID numbers now by electoral area, we can do hyper localised lockdowns if required. Let each area police its own community. This madness has to stop. People need to be certain of their employment, of their lives of their plans and hopes.
We have had 6 months to add ICU beds, buy respirators, and increase testing capacity and all that is happened is FG have increased the spin machine. Rightly sick of listening to these “leaders” now.
@Suil Amhain: street parties en masse? Exaggerate much…
@Suil Amhain: I couldn’t agree more. Way too many people from the country continued to go home over the past few weeks. Added to that the arrogant minority who still went on holiday. Strict enforcement of L3 is the answer.
@Suil Amhain: I was with you until you mentioned icu beds. We’ve plenty of beds. what we don’t have are the 6 ICU trained nurses we need with EACH bed… and that’s just the nurses. and while beds can stand by waiting for a surge in cases nurses etc don’t hang out unpaid in cupboards waiting to be taken out and dusted off when needed
@Gareth Murran: which country
Ahh today’s buzz word people – we’re heading for the “ circuit breaker” phase
After 6 months why doesn’t this government have the plans in place to cover every option. Wave 2 has been flagged since April/May. If a sudden circuit break/ another lock down. whatever it’s called, is required the plan should have been of the shelf ready at this stage.
@M Bowe: Plus where is the financial plan for each of the Government’s 5 Levels response to SARS-COV-2 emergency? Already, Varadkar mentioned we can’t afford Level 5 so can we afford Level 4,etc?
The so called ‘circuit breaker’ option advised by CMO,which Varadkar ridiculed on Clare Byrne Live might be the more effective and more economical in the long run!
Didn’t take him long to completely reverse what he said yesterday. It’s a case of we’ll do it when I say and not before.
@Aoiffe NíhÁscín UíhÁodhá: he seems to be saying that we need to plan it fully, which is what we elect politicians to do.
@Michael J Flynn: They should be planning it since March. How many more months do you want to give them Michael?
Seriously TheJournal.ie give the Covid stuff a rest, I’m absolutely totally sick of it, I’m doing my bit but my head is wrecked listening to this 24/7, and I’m sure the vast majority of the population are, we know what to do after seven months, no matter how much you say it, there’s always those who won’t comply and you won’t charge that.
@Joan Featherstone: Don’t open the app then, ffs
@Joan Featherstone: So to clarify, you opened an article about Covid to complain about articles about Covid.
Genius!!
Not a fan of Varadkar, but he tops the list of leaders when it comes to communicating to a nation while he was leading the country.
Respect and calmness when nobody had a clue. Except Trump, he knew it, he’s even still questioning why Obama failed to have a vaccine ready.
@RJ: sorry what………
@Craig Clancy: who was better, no, who was equal?
@RJ: What are you on about ? He done a Trump style attack on NPHET and Tony last night and tonight hes singing from the same hymm sheet.
Seems like its only a good idea when Leo says so.
@RJ: Talk is talk.
He went in front of the camera and talked, threw in a few movie quotes to be hip and cool, but just talked.
While he talked and stood for the camera opportunities, people died. We have one of the highest death rates in the world for people in nursing homes, all on his watch while he stood in front of the cameras.
They ignored what was going on in the nursing homes for 2 months and only started to do something about it in May.
Leo loves the camera more than the mirror and nothing else.
@RJ: It isNPHETS role to advise on the health implications of covid to the government, it is government role to have plans in place to implement that advice.
It wasn’t a case that NPHET hadn’t thought through their advice, its a case that this sham of a government hasn’t planned for the 2nd wave we were told back in April/May was sure to happen.
Leo came across as the spoilt brat shouting ‘ mammy our Tony won’t tie my shoe laces and I have a date”!!!
@RJ: I was a fan of his but his interview last night was a disgrace. If I were Taoiseach I would have asked for him to publicly apologize. Separate to that they need to close the leak at NPHET and make sure it doesn’t happen next time.
@RJ: Jacinda Adern. Whoever is in charge of Iceland, Finland, Denmark. Leo has some nice speeches written for him and hoodwinked a few people. He’s now running around like a brat trying to put others in their place while spending the rest of his energy attacking Sinn Féin on Twitter
@Gareth Murran: It’s highly unlikely that NPHET chair CMO leaked his email to Minister for Health cc to Department of the Taoiseach because those letters are published anyway!! There’s a long list of : Latest letters from CMO to Minister for Health that the public can see!
I queried today where are Government’s financial plans for these 5 Levels.
It would be reasonable for the public and CMO to assume that the Government 5 Level plan would be underpinned by a financial plan.
Tanaiste said to Clare Byrne that we can’t afford Level 5.
So I was wondering was the email leaked,(not by CMO)knowing it was to be published the next day or two and knowing that we can’t afford Level 5 like Tanaiste said…to undermine the CMO,frighten the public on Sunday and publicly personally critisize and disagree with the CMO yesterday and by saying Government would increase to Level 3 instead!
@RJ:
And he’s not wrong about having to plan things either.
A relative of mine, who had a pub/restaurant leased in a midlands town, closed his business for the last time this evening. Spent a lot of money making the premises Covid ready last time, but couldn’t afford a second lockdown.
And that’s the reality for a lot of people tonight
20th covid article today. Give it a rest.
@Alan: talking it up sher. Lol,
Cases are rising because its plastered on the journal.
He won’t stop until he totally wrecks the country.
I feel like I am in an abusive relationship with the state – we wont hit you hard ’5′ if you’re good just a slap ’3′ phew the releaf it’s my fault but then comes the fear of ’5′ again, I dream of a separation a move to Sweden where democracy prevails where the state police don’t threaten me with law’s that don’t exist in a state of fear.
@Joeohah: what about the Sharia Law in Sweden? Does that not scare the living daylights out of you?
@Joeohah: How about the fact they allowed the virus to kill many retirees in nursing homes. What if they categorize your life as not important too?
@Dub Cell: sharia law in Sweden?
@Joeohah: You feel abused by the state? Well just remember that at election time.
The mindset of some people in their responses to the government and NPHET advise have a ring of “Lord of the flies” to it. The whole Bo!!ox to the rules and the childish nature to in understanding where the responsibility lies in this. It’s not the responsibility of the government or NPHET to control anyone or their movements in reducing the spread of the virus. It is everyone’s individual responsibility to do what the can to protect themselves and others. It’s not as though people don’t know what they must do but it appears obvious that guidelines they seem not to know where to draw the line. We would be disgusted with out children if they acted as irresponsibly as we are about this as adults.
@Pat Ryan:
Surely personal responsibility means you weigh up the risks and act accordingly , hence many may see a lower risk then others
@Pat Ryan: Well I am taking a leaf out of Leos book and will chose wheter to accept advise or not .. Leo leads by example and sure we can all follow his disregard for advice.
@Pat Ryan: he was in charge for years while the health service crumbled. He was in charge from March to June when we never set up a contact tracing system and we fired 100s of millions at private hospitals for nothing. People have to take responsibility but so do the Government. Lots of people have to work places where social distancing is impossible. Meat factories were allowed bully their staff to work in unsafe conditions. The Government stood by and did nothing.
What’s the point if the airports and ports remain open to anyone who wants to come here.
Leo is look to be popular with everyone one day he against lockdowns as it bad for half million citizens next he can lock us down when he see fit, let him and all his part take the pup payment during lockdown or let’s reduce the number of TD’s as some other countries half
Good man leo , we need someone to speak rationally on this
Arse covering after last night’s comments about NPHET. Too late.
Circuit break is not new. It was the original plan in March. Remember the graphics with the matches? They said 2 weeks. We never fully reopened. Why do they think it will work now?
A tale of 2 faces
I blame the 5G network for all this. I mean surely 5G has something to do with all this
@billybigballs: don’t forget SF
Really concerning . Minister of health Stephen Donnelly on prime time saying we can increase capacity for ICU . I want to hear plan for stopping people get to icu . Where is the strategy . Icu is last chance saloon .Are we just hoping all the rule breakers now obey . They won’t . I want to stay at level three but five is the only way to stop overrunning the hospitals . Deaths and surges were in nursing homes last time this time the surge will be in the community and then Hospitals this time From seeing what is happening . It’s impossible to get many people to just cop on and act better .These infection numbers are from at least a week ago so the numbers can only go the one way in the next weeks unfortunately . Icu is not the place to be focusing on building efforts . Scary
Does no one remember the graphic from the beginning? A row of matches with one taken out. That is a circuit breaker. Didn’t work then, won’t work now
U.K. copy cats. All that is bad is copied.
It’s all about Narcissistic Varadkar being very jealous of Tony Holohans popularity. Nothing more, nothing less
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