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The coalition party leaders will meet with the medical director on Monday to discuss a public health recommendation that the state should move to an effective national lockdown for four weeks to control Covid-19 numbers.
The National Public Health Emergencies Team (NPHET) recommended on Sunday that the entire country move to the highest level of restrictions on the government’s Covid-19 roadmap amid concerns about the spread of the disease and the increase of the number of hospitals.
Tier 5 would see a ban on all home visits and social or family gatherings, and only essential retail stores would be allowed to open. People are advised to stay at home, except for exercise, less than 5 km from their home.
Only six people could attend funerals and weddings. Unlike the previous closure announced last March, schools, nurseries and institutions of higher education would remain open, with additional protective measures. Pubs, restaurants, and cafes would move to offer only take-out services, no organized outdoor gatherings or sporting events.
Dr. Tony Holohan chaired the meeting, reverting to his role as medical director after stepping aside for months for family reasons.
He is expected to reiterate the rationale for the NPHET recommendation, which took the political system by surprise, in meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. The meeting is expected to take place at noon.
A meeting of an oversight committee, chaired by the country’s top official, Martin Fraser, involving the general secretaries of other relevant departments, is likely to be held later to discuss NPHET’s advice. The committee is tasked with considering how the public health councils can be applied in practice.
A cabinet subcommittee meeting on Covid-19 is expected to follow. A full cabinet meeting was not on the agenda Monday morning, but sources said that could change after the three party leaders met with Dr. Holohan.
Impact of the restriction
HSE CEO Paul Reid tweeted Monday morning that there was obvious concern about Covid-19 trends and numbers.
“But we also know the impacts of severe and regular restrictions in society on public health, well-being, mental health, and the economy. The level 5 recommendation to the government should also be considered in this context, ”he said.
Any decision to move the country to Level 5 must be made by the Cabinet. Some ministers are expected to reject the proposal and seek clarity on the reasons behind it.
A cabinet meeting may be called after the meeting between Dr. Holohan and the coalition leaders. Any decision may first be discussed by the cabinet subcommittee on Covid-19, or a group of senior public officials appointed to consider NPHET’s advice, before a full cabinet meeting takes place.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said he doubted “many of us could get a night’s sleep” after news of NPHET’s recommendation emerged Sunday night.
“So many concerns and questions on people’s minds. Leaks and speculation don’t help. Today you need to bring clarity. Until then, let’s focus on what we can control and what we can do: keep our distance, reduce contacts, wear face covers, ”he tweeted.
Dr Mary Favier, former president of the Irish College of General Practitioners that is part of NPHET, said the “unavoidable truth” was that a lockdown was needed to protect the country’s vulnerable healthcare system.
“The reality is that if we continue as we are, if you or I had a serious traffic accident in November or if we needed emergency heart surgery, there may not be an intensive care bed for you or me,” he told RTÉ. Tomorrow Ireland.
“Family doctors are concerned about what this winter will be like. It is not just a fear, it is a reality, “she said. The health system was already under pressure with cases of Covid and not Covid, said the GP.
‘Political question’
Fianna Fáil’s TD Jim O’Callaghan said the Covid-19 response was a “political question that should be answered by weighing the current and future threat posed by Covid versus the current and future threat posed by the restrictions.”
“We cannot answer that question considering only Covid,” he tweeted on Monday.
Dublin and Donegal currently have Level 3 restrictions, with additional measures restricting pubs and restaurants to outdoor seating in the capital only. The rest of the country is at level 2.
In the past month, the five-day case average, a key metric tracked by NPHET, went from 99 per day to 463.
The national incidence rate of the virus has tripled from 31 cases per 100,000 in 14 days to 108.9 per 100,000. Dublin’s incidence rate has reached 172.8 cases per 100,000, and Donegal recorded 189 cases per 100,000 in the past 14 days.
Another trend that has added to the concern of public health officials is the steady increase in the number of Covid-19 admissions in hospitals and intensive care.
The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 has risen from 40 to 141 in the last month, with 21 patients now in intensive care units.
Professor Anthony Staines, an academic and public health expert at Dublin City University, said it was clear that “Covid-19 is out of control and increasing across the country.”
“That has been clear for some time, but whether we should start with Level 5 is a different question,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
“I think the public is much less concerned about this than some elements within the business community and at least one element within the Cabinet, we are going to need to do something because the number of cases is constantly increasing, the number of admissions is constantly going up” .
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