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MINISTER FOR HEALTH Simon Harris has said advice relating to “mass gatherings” including the Ireland v Italy Six Nations game in less than two weeks will reviewed today due to coronavirus concerns.
Speaking to reporters today, Harris said there is a “high likelihood” Ireland could see a confirmed case of Covid-19 in the coming days and weeks.
The Ireland v Italy Six Nations game is due to take place on 7 March in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Five people have died so far in Italy from Covid-19 and the country has the most confirmed cases of any European country.
Harris said there are “no plans as of now” to cancel the match or any other mass gatherings in the future, including the large St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin city centre next month.
“There will be some big decisions that have to be made in the coming days including mass gatherings. Most particularly, I’m thinking of the Ireland-Italy rugby game that’s due to take place in the not-too distant future,” Harris said today.
“We’re reviewing today advice in relation to situations like mass gatherings like large matches and the National Public Health Emergency team will meet tomorrow.
“The chances of a coronavirus case in Ireland or indeed anywhere in the European Union outside of Italy has significantly increased but it’s really important and that we act in accordance with best health advice,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said the Ireland v Italy games that weekend “remain as scheduled”.
“The IRFU will follow government advice on such fixtures,” the spokesperson said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has advised Irish citizens to avoid travelling to areas in Italy affected by the coronavirus due to recent increases in confirmed cases.
Dominic McGrath / TwitterMinister for Health Simon Harris said that “mass gatherings” may need to be looked at amid concerns about #coronavirus - he cites in particular the Ireland v Italy Six Nations game in Dublin pic.twitter.com/5q9pIt5P9C
— Dominic McGrath (@McGrathDominic) February 24, 2020
The National Public Health Emergency team held a special meeting last night and will meet again tomorrow, Harris said.
“All of the advice that Ireland is taking and following, and all of the advice it will continue to take, will be in accordance with the world Health Organisation guidelines and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.”
Harris advised any members of the public who feel unwell today and who may have been in contact with anyone who has the Covid-19 virus or who has come from a region where there has been an outbreak to contact their GP by phone or contact HSE Live online or by phone.
With reporting by Dominic McGrath.
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Wonderful news getting this off the streets.
@Derek Moean: whatever about the cannabis which is relatively harmless, good that those dangerous prescription drugs were seized. And as for the cocaine, whatever mixed white powder it is, one thing for sure is it is extremely dangerous leaving it controlled by a black market.
@Derek Moean: A quick phone call and you can have any of those drugs this morning for the same price they were yesterday. The same people who would have bought them yesterday will buy them today. This quite literally has zero impact on the market and is a complete waste of Garda resources especially when they’re cancelling 999 calls and failing to respond to urgent incidents. The insanity continues..
@Declan Doherty: definitely blame Gardai for enforcing the law. Imagine how much time they’d have to invest in other crimes if people didn’t use illegal substances….
@Paul Clancy: You are naive to think that human beings will not consume drugs. Its in our nature.
@Black Iron Tarkus: indeed. But neither could you expect society to exert no control over the recreational use of drugs really. As long as it isn’t allowed people use some caution, which holds it in check to a point but if that barrier was removed I could imagine a lot more problems with people under the influence of whatever they had taken. That said obviously the system that is there now is flawed and needs to be looked at. I do not think the answer is to think that because people will take drugs regardless we just let them at it.
@Mick Murphy: Not allowing something doesn’t stop people from doing it. If people want to take drugs they’ll take them regardless of the law. All prohibition does is drive it underground, create a profitable market for criminals and make it more dangerous for consumers. It also costs the state millions in a futile “war” when we could be generating significant revenue through taxation. We allow the sale of one of the most toxic, and harmful drugs on the planet while denying people the right to far safer alternatives. It’s hypocritical, it’s wrong and it needs to change.
@Mick Murphy: what are you basing your theory of people holding back when drugs are illegal? Is it just a gut feeling or is it based on the exponential increase in drug use since recreational drugs were made illegal?
With respect, I suggest your (and most people’s ) belief that illegality is needed to reduce use, is a fallacy with no evidence to back it up.
The next question is why you want use to reduce… if it is for public health and safety reasons, these goals would be best achieved in a legal regulated way.
If it is purely a moral point of view, that we just don’t like the idea of people altering their mental state… maybe that has no place in our laws.
People will consume drugs and have done since the dawn of time. It is part of the human condition.
@Paul Clancy, the vast majority of people who use illegal drugs do not have to commit crime to pay for their habit. How many robberies do you think The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Steve Jobs, Adam Clayton, Ronnie O’Sullivan etc had to commit to fund their drug use.
@Derek Moehan, oh yeah “wonderful” news, this will improve yours and my day, I sarcastically agree.
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