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IT IS LIKELY we could see more clusters of Covid-19 within the general population as Ireland begins to re-open, but that won’t necessarily mean that public health measures aren’t working according to chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan.
“We are going to have outbreaks in, for example, workplace settings or maybe in time a school setting, or a club,” Dr Holohan told reporters at the daily Department of Health press briefing today.
“We have to be in a position to both identify that and to take action in relation to it.”
The chief medical officer was fielding questions just after confirming that – for the first time since 21 March – there were no new confirmed deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland.
While recent weeks have seen the number of daily confirmed cases fall to double figures showing that the virus was being suppressed in the community, there remains the risk that the virus could spread further as people go back to work.
Ireland entered Phase One of the roadmap to re-opening the economy last Monday. It won’t be known what effect that has had on the spread of Covid-19 until late this week at the earliest.
Dr Holohan was asked if there was a level of apprehension ahead of further data coming in about how the virus is spreading later this week.
“For us, it’s about caution rather than apprehension,” he said.
There are a number of measures that public health authorities will track, such as hospitalisation rates, the numbers in intensive care and the overall number of cases within the population.
Even if cases rise, it’ll be their responsibility to interpret the figures and explain to the public whether or not they’re a cause of concern.
The chief medical officer said: “If there’s a significant change in the rate of infection, obviously that’s going to lead to concern on the part of the public.
“What we’ll have to do is try to interpret that and explain and advise. What we hope to be is in a position to – even if we see an increase in cases – it doesn’t necessarily mean things are not working.”
Dr Holohan said that even if there are clusters within a particular workplace or setting, the guidance and supports in place now means they’re now in a better position to attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“One of the things that’s going to happen as we ease restrictions, and increase the amount of economic activity… we are going to see more clusters of this,” he said.
We are going to have outbreaks in, for example, workplace settings or maybe in time a school setting, or a club. We have to be in a position to both identify that and to take action in relation to it.
This is a highly transmissible virus. The fact that that might occur isn’t necessarily a sign that we haven’t succeeded in terms of applying our measures. I think we’d be much better positioned to deal with that than we might have been in February had that occurred in that way.
Dr Holohan added that the sheer act of beginning to re-open the country meant that the risk of spread had increased but it was being done so in as managed a way as possible in line with the best available public health advice.
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Just wait for the articles over the next few days that blame landlords, OAPs, property owners with vacant properties etc.
The government is great at deflecting the responsibility from themselves.
My sister went to Australia, needed money in the bank and a job secured before leaving. Just sayin :-)
@Danny foley: What are you suggesting? How much money & how long she stay? Why she go there if she was able to earn presumably alot here to go there in the first place?
@Jay Lane:
Have you considered that there may be others reasons people would like to emigrate to Australia for other than money?
Why is the sub heading highlighting that one in five are women?
@Darren Norris: It should be highlighting 4 out of 5 are men.
@Niall Sullivan: exactly. Utterly bizarre.
@Darren Norris:
Its clickbait for Veronica to come on here demanding equality
@Niall Sullivan: Or it could have said “just one in five are women”, but no the author takes the Titanic approach…women and children first.
Horrible night to have been out last night, bitter wind and cold, you know solving the homeless crisis takes imagination , I know a lot of people end up again homeless after being housed because paying bills and drug taking is not compatible, we need lodgings, similar to students where a single payment covers the rent and utility bill at least for a few years. otherwise they just end up back on the streets.
Can’t lord Bono donate some of his hidden loot to the homeless
@Kevin Moylan: Go easy. The “poor” man is “distressed”.
You wouldn’t let a dog out on a night like last night but the government let human beings sleep in the streets in a city with 4000 empty houses.
@Fifty Shades of Sé: What about the people who are on the streets because of bad decisions? Decided to take heroin. Decided to overindulge in alcohol. Decided it was a good idea to start drinking alcohol before lunch. Decided not to work because they couldn’t be bothered to make an effort. Got kicked out of their home because they were argumentative & caused too much trouble. Are the rest of us supposed to care & provide them with a home?
@Cindy Crawford: It’s the government’s bad decisions that are increasing homelessness. There were only about 1000 people homeless in the whole country until a few years ago.
From what I can see there are lots of non-nationals now sleeping rough on the streets of Cork. Proving services will attract more people from around the world and the services will never keep up with the demand. So we are now looking at a permanent crisis. This is unacceptable and we have to stop letting people into the state who can’t support themselves. Nor should Patrick Street be an acceptable place for sleeping rough. The place is looking like a slum.
@VladosHat: yes agreed are these non-national people from member eu states? I have come across many homeless from the countries that are part of the eu even some roma, but I have never saw an African or Asian sleeping rough and just to point out not all homeless have mental or substance issues
As long as Cork City Council & indeed Councils around the country continue to house their own staff who are not in immediate need of housing, these figures will continue to rise. It’s unfortunate that those who are most in need are being neglected due to the Council’s favouritism.
@Phil Anthropy: also allowing people inherit council houses that they don’t live in but just kept themselves on the rent book should not be allowed.
Our good bankers debt needs paying. Casualties of financial fraud aided by our political system. Ie : FF FG LIEBOUR.
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