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Only around a dozen Gardaí have been infected with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, far less than expected by senior management.
However, more than 300 gardaí have been referred for testing to date and have had to isolate themselves, including large numbers in Dublin, Westmeath, Meath and Cork.
Sometimes suspicious groups or groups have led to the temporary closure of entire units. In Westmeath, 45 Gardaí had to isolate themselves in March after a member returned from the UK and entered work before being diagnosed with the virus.
At the Mountjoy Garda station last week, an entire unit, made up of about 15 members, was pulled for 24 hours for fear of an outbreak.
However, despite concerns about the lack of priority testing for gardaí, the force has so far escaped the virus’s worst impact.
Garda headquarters said it was not publishing official numbers of how many members had hired Covid-19, but that “there is currently no impact on any service in An Garda Síochána as a result of Covid-19 ”.
The Garda Representatives Association (GRA), which represents 12,000 of Garda’s 15,000 members, said it had received reports of about 12 confirmed cases among rank members. About nine of those Gardai are believed to have contracted the disease in the line of duty.
It is understood that another four or five cases have been reported among the highest ranges. There have been no deaths among the Garda as a result of the virus.
Pleasant surprise
The figures have come as a pleasant surprise to management who were concerned that the virus could impair operational effectiveness. At the start of the pandemic, Commissioner Drew Harris took a series of drastic steps to ensure sufficient manpower in the event of a major outbreak, including recruiting recruits into service after just five weeks of training and delayed retirement of certain high-ranking members.
Other front-line services have been affected much more severely, including the Irish Prison Service, which has seen about five employees, but not prisoners, contract the virus. This equates to an infection per 650 staff members compared to approximately one per 1,000 at Garda.
More than 300 gardaí have been sent for testing. Most divisions outside major urban centers have seen 10-15 members requiring evidence since the start of the crisis.
Gardaí has been subjected to 64 spitting or coughing attacks since the beginning of the crisis and has used new generation saliva bells on an alleged 47 occasions. Harris said some people deliberately bite the inside of their mouths to draw blood before spitting on Gardaí.
GRA has expressed frustration at the lack of priority testing for its members. The administration has filed a plan for Gardaí to be tested at centers designated across the country by members with medical training, he said.
The Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Association (AGSI), which represents mid-range Garda managers, said its 2,500 members were “disappointed” by Garda’s top management on the matter.
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