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The Irish medical director expressed concern about new data suggesting that almost half of people think the worst of the coronavirus crisis has passed.
r Tony Holohan said that if the exit of the closure restrictions went wrong, the country could still face an increase in worse cases than anything experienced to date.
At Covid-19’s daily briefing, Dr. Holohan also said he was hopeful that Ireland’s gradual recovery plan could start as scheduled next Monday.
The number of coronavirus deaths in Ireland rose to 1,467 on Monday after another 15 deaths were announced.
There were 139 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, taking the total in Ireland since the emergency began at 23,135.
Dr. Holohan said an official public attitudes market survey found that 43 percent of respondents said they felt the worst of the emergency was behind Ireland.
The other options presented to respondents were that the worst of the crisis was yet to come, or was happening right now.
Dr. Holohan said the findings emphasized the challenge the Health Department faces in conveying the message about the potential impact of a second wave of cases.
“43p is a pretty high percentage of people who believe that this is over and that the work is done here,” he said.
“That is just a small concern that we have.”
He added: “If we are wrong as we begin to reduce restrictions, and we hope to move towards a point where we can do it, and we see the number of reproductive infections increasing. To a level that is beyond what we think that we can face and we can face, we could have a significant challenge with this which is as great as the challenge we could have had if we had not achieved this as controlled as we have over the past two months. “
The briefing also heard that the average response time from referral for a Covid-19 test to the sample being analyzed, the result issued, and the follow-up of contacts performed was five days, and progress was made to reduce it to four.
Dr. Holohan said he did not believe that the effectiveness of the testing regimen would provide a reason to delay the start of the recovery plan.
He said other factors would have to be considered before he and his colleagues on the National Public Health Emergency Team could recommend to the government that phase one could start on May 18.
“Today is not the day we will do the assessment, we will do it later this week, towards the end of the week we will come to an assessment and make that advice available to the government,” said Dr. Holohan.
“But I would say that at this stage we think and hope to have the possibility of making a positive recommendation regarding those restrictions and all the considerations that must be taken into account by Monday.”
Earlier Monday, the Electric Picnic music festival in Laois County became the last high-profile event to be canceled due to the emergency.
Elsewhere, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met with Ireland’s top five banks to discuss the coronavirus crisis.
He was joined by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Business Minister Heather Humphreys for talks with the CEOs of AIB, the Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, TSB Permanente and KBC.
A government statement said Varadkar emphasized the important role of the banking sector in supporting the gradual reopening of the Irish economy by ensuring a flow of credit to companies.
It welcomed the suspension of payments supports offered to commercial customers and mortgage holders, including a measure to extend them from three to six months.
The ministers also praised the bank workers who had continued to serve clients throughout the shutdown.
“The government and banks jointly recognized the challenge that many companies face as the economy reopens,” the statement concluded.
“The government welcomes the banks’ commitment to continue to play their part by working positively with their customers, in the most caring way possible, to ensure that the recovery can take place as quickly as possible.”
PA Media
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