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You MAY HAVE heard the phrase “circuit breaker” mentioned in regards to the Covid-19 discussions over the past week.
On Tuesday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told his party’s parliamentary meeting that the idea of a “circuit breaker” blockade cannot be ruled out.
The meeting was informed that the government’s current roadmap for Living with Covid-19 did not include a circuit breaker and that planning would be necessary.
Other high-level government sources have also said that “circuit breaker” restrictions “are not out of the question.”
So what exactly is a ‘circuit breaker’ and where did the idea originate?
The idea of a ‘circuit breaker’ is a short, sharp period of tighter restrictions aimed at curbing the rise in coronavirus cases.
Some see the temporary lockdown in New Zealand as a circuit breaker that gave contact trackers time to keep up with case numbers.
The term ‘circuit breaker’ lockout originates from Singapore, where it tested the measure in April during the height of the first wave of coronavirus.
People will be more familiar with the phrase used in electrical terms: a circuit breaker is a device that can stop the flow of electricity around a circuit by shutting off if something goes wrong.
Did NPHET recommend the circuit breaker method?
Last Sunday, the medical director, Dr. Tony Holohan, wrote to the government recommending that the entire country move to level 5.
Dr. Holohan did not explicitly mention the term circuit breaker in the letter, and has not since.
However, in the letter, Dr. Holohan recommended that the government apply Level 5, the highest level of measures, nationwide “for a period of four weeks.” Arguably this could be seen as something akin to a circuit breaker.
After a meeting the next day between Dr. Holohan and the Taoiseach, the conversation in government circles was that NPHET tried to “get the government to jump the government into a circuit breaker without consulting.”
Professor Philip Nolan (left) Deputy Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn (center) and Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan (right)
Source: Saxony Lazarov via RollingNews.ie
On Monday night, Varadkar told RTÉ host Claire Byrne that what NPHET was proposing at the Level 5 council was a circuit breaker.
He said it had not been tested anywhere in Europe, including some countries that have cases much higher than Ireland.
The “short, sharp shock” is an attempt to stop transmission of the disease suddenly, Varadkar explained. However, he said he did not believe that the NPHET idea “had been properly thought out.”
Varadkar said a number of questions were posed to the NPHET team at Monday’s meeting, such as how long would the Level 5 period last? What if it doesn’t work? Would the strategy be abandoned?
He said they also asked public health experts if schools would remain open, and said the Taoiseach and ministers weren’t sure they could.
Varadkar said that NPHET had not contemplated any of the questions they asked.
“We need to plan for this kind of thing,” he said.
Has it worked in other parts of the world?
High-level sources have said that a circuit breaker is being considered. But whether it works in other countries that are implementing such disruptions is something that is being watched closely.
Sources have said that circuit breaker options need to be looked at in Ireland, but also need to be thought through carefully. In Ireland there is concern that there will be no Plan B if the circuit breaker movement does not work.
Government sources have said attention should be paid to when it would be best to implement it, how long it would last, what other places have been successful and what is not working before any kind of move is contemplated.
Some point to the cases of Israel and Melbourne as examples of circuit breaks.
However, serious concerns have been raised about the time frame of both cases, with a source saying Melbourne’s attempt at some sort of circuit disruption began on July 7 and is not over yet.
On July 7, after 191 new cases were reported, Melbourne was locked up for a period of six weeks. However, the restrictions remained in place for longer.
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, became the epicenter of Australia’s second wave after security bugs led the virus to escape from hotels used to quarantine travelers returning from abroad.
A general view of Lake Albert Park in Melbourne in July
Source: Daniel Pockett / AAP via PA Images
On September 28, Melbourne’s nightly curfew was lifted. This curfew was first imposed on August 2.
The relaxation came after 16 new infections and two deaths were reported in Victoria and active cases in the state fell below 400 for the first time since June 30.
Looking at Israel, the country imposed a second nationwide lockdown on September 18, which would last for three weeks, to cope with one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the world.
The new restrictions saw significant backlash from the public, with protests across the country.
Last week, the Israeli parliament passed a law restricting demonstrations as part of a state of emergency related to the coronavirus. However, the protests continue.
As noted above, the term “circuit breaker” lockout originates from Singapore.
This approach was implemented on April 3, when the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, said it was time to implement such a measure to stop the spread of the virus. It should be noted that this is the first time that Singapore went into lockdown, so it is not much different from Ireland’s approach at the time.
In the following week, all non-essential workplaces were closed, all schools switched to home learning, and all food establishments were only able to offer takeout.
This circuit breaker was initially due to end on May 4, however, Loong announced on April 21 that it would be extended through June 1 as a result of an increase in the number of cases.
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“The number of new cases in the local community has stabilized, at less than 30 new cases a day. This is the result of the circuit breaker and that we all work together. But, as you know, the total number of cases has increased considerably since I last spoke to you, just 10 days ago, ”Loong said on April 21.
It is still too early to know if circuit breaker locks work, as there is no widespread study on their use. However, it seems to be close to the types of locks that were already implemented in March / April.
North Ireland
Covid-19 cases have increased dramatically in Northern Ireland over the past week. Over the past 24 hours, 1,080 more cases of the virus have been confirmed in the North, a new record.
Northern Finance Minister Conor Murphy has said that the Northern Executive may have to consider restrictions on circuit breakers, adding that it would be preferable for this to happen on all islands.
Yesterday morning, Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the increasing number of cases on both sides of the Irish border.
Martin said the two leaders did not discuss introducing a tightening of short-term “circuit breaker” restrictions across the island.
“The UK has its own issues and challenges in relation to the regional approaches it is taking to the Covid situation,” he added.
He said: “It really was about the idea of supporting the North to whatever extent the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister might decide to take up and highlight concerns about the growing numbers in the North and the need for coordination. But also, critically, it also supports ”.
The prime minister recently told the BBC that he will provide additional resources to help the Stormont executive fight a second wave of coronavirus.
He said he will work with Prime Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill if they opt for a “circuit breaker.”
With information from Christina Finn, Press Association and AFP
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