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Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn has asked healthcare professionals to stop going to work if they have symptoms, following an increase in Covid-19 cases among healthcare workers over the past week .
Speaking to other members of the medical staff in a video conference titled ‘the state of the nation’ hosted by the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Dr Glynn admitted that he too had started working while having symptoms while working in the past .
He said: “One major issue I just wanted to raise is that I would have gone to work myself while having symptoms as a doctor. We all did, we all did, regularly, but I would beg people not to do it this winter. We simply cannot afford people to go to work this winter if there is any suggestion from Covid, “he said.
Explaining the reason for his warning, he said: “We have seen an increase in cases of healthcare workers during the last week in particular, even in our entire acute hospital system, so I ask people to have special Be careful, especially now that there is more pressure on the system as people get busier and you are stressed. “
He said: “Take care of yourself, but also have a lower rate to make ‘the call’ and say ‘I can not come in today’ if you have those symptoms” and admitted: “I know that is not something natural in particular to the community that is in this call this morning. “
He also asked staff to get a flu shot, whenever possible, before flu season: “We have to do everything we can to avoid a situation where people have symptoms and people have illnesses because I believe that the The health system will be under pressure and we need everyone who can work, inside and working. “
He said: “From my perspective, I take this opportunity to say that you all have a roll to play. I think sometimes we minimize the influence we have on our patients and the people we come in contact with every day and if they understand that surgeons, GPS and doctors across the country place importance on basic behaviors, it is much more likely they do. Get out there and model those behaviors. And that’s really key.
“The more people do the basics, the less likely we will have to introduce more restrictions that will have a profound impact on the health service and on the whole of society.”
Meanwhile, giving a summary of the overall case rate across the country, he said: “The outlook at the national level is stable, we are increasingly concerned about Dublin in particular.
“Dublin is increasing and while our national incidence is approximately 32 per 100,000, Dublin is currently 53 per 100,000 and it is still increasing.”
The news comes as the government prepares to publish a nine-month action plan to address Covid-19 over the next week.
The acting medical director has said that the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has been in talks with the government about measures that will be put in place to address the current threat from coronavirus as the country enters flu season.
It is understood that the new measures will incorporate a “color-coded” system.
Although the plan will target a period of ‘blue status’ in the country where the virus is suppressed, this will only take effect when vaccines or an innovative medical treatment become available.
In the yellow state, most businesses would be open, as would schools. An orange status would mean local outbreaks in communities, rather than in specific settings. An outbreak of orange status would imply restrictions similar to those imposed on the people of Kildare, Offaly and Laois.
While an outbreak of red status would send the country back into a national lockdown. However, another crash may not be as severe as the last quarantine, due to a better understanding of how the virus spreads.
Online editors
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