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As Co Donegal prepared to enter Level 3 restrictions at midnight on Friday, the focus has been renewed on the movement of people across the border into Northern Ireland.
The Government acted swiftly on Thursday to raise the region to Level 3 of the Government’s five-level Covid-19 scale after a rapid and dramatic deterioration of the situation with the virus in the county.
The move came after a substantial increase in cases in the county with the 14-day rate in the Lifford and Stranorlar area at 336 per 100,000 people. The number of cases per 100,000 over the past fortnight in the county rose to 148.2, the highest in the country. It is now higher than Dublin’s rate of about 145. The nearby Derry and Strabane district across the border has one of the highest infection rates in the north.
Public health expert Dr. Gabriel Scally said it was “more than sensible but essential” to have “seamless” Covid-19 measures in Donegal and Derry to prevent travel between the two counties.
He warned of the risk of people in Donegal, where indoor alcohol consumption in pubs has now been closed under new restrictions in the country, crossing the border to drink in bars in Northern Ireland, especially when the nights turn colder.
Public health expert Dr. Gabriel Scally said it was “more than sensible but essential” to have “seamless” Covid-19 measures in Donegal and Derry to prevent travel between the two counties.
“If there appears to be an inequality of measurements between the two places, particularly in terms of the retail or hotel industries, that would be extremely damaging,” Dr. Scally said.
The “distinctive situation” in the border region with the movement of people between Donegal and Derry “reinforces the need to harmonize measures” in the north and south, he said.
The medical chiefs of the Republic and Northern Ireland will meet via video link on Friday to devise a coordinated approach to reduce travel between Donegal and Derry.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has spoken with Prime Minister of the North, Arlene Foster, and Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill, about the need for a “pragmatic and practical” policy designed to reduce travel to the north and south except for work reasons, educational or essential.
On Thursday, people across the border from Co Donegal were urged to use their “moral and civil conscience” if they considered visiting the county.
Insp David Durkin, who is in charge of emergency planning for the local force, said the Gardaí could not prevent people from entering the county from neighboring Derry and Tyrone. He did not see a situation where Gardaí set up checkpoints along the border, as happened during the start of the national lockdown in March.
“We will tell people not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary and they have to. We will also appeal to people on the other side of the border to use their moral and civic conscience if they consider traveling to Donegal, and again not to travel unless absolutely necessary. “
One of the most challenging aspects of the closure in Donegal will be your daily interactions, with thousands of people working and going to school between both areas.
Parites
Meanwhile, Lifford, Co Donegal GP Dr. Martin Coyne has said that Derry’s proximity to Donegal has contributed to the increase in the level of cases in his county.
The border does not exist for people coming and going to work, shopping, socializing or going to school on both sides of the border, he told Newstalk Breakfast. It was not a single path and the people of Donegal could have brought the virus to Derry.
His practice had seen 17 cases between March and September 17, in the two weeks since it had seen 54 patients, he said. It seemed that social gatherings such as birthday parties, Leaving Cert outcome parties, communions, and, unfortunately, a wake, were responsible for this increase.
“People have been gathering together and they probably haven’t followed the social distancing advice. Unfortunately, it has now entered our community and is spreading. “
Dr. Coyne urged people to “keep your guard up” and remember, “how horrible this condition is.” He warned that even if patients didn’t end up in the hospital, some would feel “terribly bad” while others would be severely restrained.
“People need to search the HSE website and see what self-isolation really means. It means that you have to stay in your own house, in your own room and not mix with anyone for 10 days; it’s like being in prison for 10 days. If you are a contact of someone who has had Covid-19, you must self-isolate for 14 days until you get the go-ahead from public health. “
Dr. Coyne added that Covid-19 was not “a minor Mickey Mouse condition.” People should respect that and think twice before deciding, ‘this does not apply to me’, this is a minor disease and the other aspect is that if you are young and Covid positive, you may not know and you can the home of those who are vulnerable to the condition. “
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