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The Government moved the entire country to level 3 of Covid-19 restrictions this week, against the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), which recommended Level 5 measures. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the recommendation of the Tighter restrictions came out of nowhere.
Here, we take a look at the schedule of meetings, phone calls, and other key events in the days before and after the Government’s elevation of Covid-19 measures.
Saturday October 3
10 deaths; 613 new cases.
Medical Director Tony Holohan returned to work two days earlier to review the situation. He contacted the Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly, to convey his concern about the deterioration of the situation in relation to Covid-19. He tells her that he has arranged for the Nphet to hold an impromptu meeting the next day.
Sunday October 4
Zero deaths; 364 new cases.
Dr. Holohan is reaching out to Donnelly again by phone to reinforce his concerns about the latest data on the pandemic and his view that stricter measures are required. At this stage, no reference is made to any possibility of advice to raise the alert level to Level 5. Donnelly relays the content of the call to Taoiseach Micheál Martin. But did Dr. Holohan give you any hint that such a spectacular two-step lift was going to be recommended?
In the early afternoon, Nphet begins a long meeting in which he analyzes the data. A letter sent by Dr. Holohan to Mr. Donnelly on behalf of Nphet after the meeting sets the context for his concern.
Under current trends, he warns, the daily number of new cases could rise between 1,600 and 2,300 by November 7. All data is on a steep upward curve. The 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people has increased from 84 to 108, hospitalizations are increasing, and the volume of new cases has increased by 50% in one week to October 3 (compared to an increase of 6 % The last week). .
But the bottom line is as follows: “Therefore, it is recommended that the Government apply Level 5 measures throughout the country from midnight on Monday, October 5 for a period of four weeks.”
Before the Government receives the letter, Dr. Holohan calls Mr. Donnelly again and tells him that Nphet is recommending that he move nationwide to Level 5. Mr. Donnelly immediately calls the Taoiseach and contacts both Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s senior staff as well as Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. .
But Donnelly does not make public those contacts with Dr. Holohan.
Within hours of the meeting, the news of this dramatic turn of events is released.
The reaction from the top levels of government is one of surprise and anger. The ministers demand an explanation from Nphet about the “general news” and also complain that the body of experts had circumvented the protocol of the new alert plan. The measure should have been communicated by the Taoiseach, says a source, after a full cabinet meeting.
Varadkar admits later in the week that he was “very unhappy” with the development. Also reportedly Martin Fraser, the secretary general of the government, who also chairs the Covid-19 oversight committee.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in contact with the Taoiseach to express his concern about the state’s move to Level 5, a situation that would create a great disparity with the North, where the latest outbreak is worse. The Taoiseach responds by saying that no decision had been made, but that the North needed more “financial firepower” to curb the spread of the virus there.
Monday October 5
Zero deaths; 518 new cases.
On Monday morning, Dr. Holohan, accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Ronan Glynn and Dr. Philip Nolan, goes to the government buildings to meet with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and Eamon Ryan. It is a long and tense meeting. Varadkar, in particular, questions the three doctors about the foundation of the radical advice and asks them what contingencies existed if it didn’t work out.
This is where the notion of a “circuit breaker” arises, a short, sharp jolt. Politicians argue that nowhere else in Europe has been tried, that the blockade in Ireland would be much more severe than in any other EU country, although some countries had much worse situations. They ask doctors if they have considered the ramifications of some 400,000 people who would lose their jobs.
Then, in an equally tense meeting, the oversight committee chaired by Fraser meets to consider Dr. Holohan’s letter and make its own recommendations to the government. Like ministers before, the committee rejects the advice and instead recommends a Level 3 status at the national level. This is a serious elevation, but well below what Nphet had recommended.
At 5 pm a full cabinet meeting follows.
According to one minister, Mr. Martin and Martin Fraser, who is the top government official in the cabinet, were “visibly angry” at the meeting.
Some ministers warned that the situation was deteriorating and that a full Level 5 lockdown might soon be necessary, the vast majority were carried away by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste arguments that Level 5 would have very serious negative consequences for society, the economy and mental health.
It is at this meeting that the Ministers decide that they must ensure that Level 3 is applied. A plan is drawn up for a high visibility Garda operation involving checkpoints at the national level.
The meeting concludes shortly before 8 pm. Then it is announced that Micheál Martin will read a statement that will be broadcast live on the RTÉ 9:00 pm news. In the short statement he explains why the government rejected the advice, but does not openly criticize Nphet.
That criticism comes less than an hour later. But not in government buildings. There, three main ministers, Eamon Ryan, Stephen Donnelly and Paschal Donohoe, hold a press conference to explain what happened.
At the same time, however, Mr. Varadkar is at RTÉ studios on Claire Byrne Live. With minimal guidelines, he lets Dr. Holohan and Nphet fly with acid disdain for their recommendation. He says the advice came out of nowhere and was not well thought out. He also makes the sharp criticism that no Nphet member would face the loss of their job Tuesday morning as a result of Level 5. It is a demolition of the council and a very direct censure of Dr. Holohan.
That evening, Mr. Martin also contacts Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill to explain the Government’s decision. He agrees with them that North Korea needs to get more funding from London to help vulnerable companies and entities that might have to close if restrictions increase there.
Tuesday 6th October
A death; 432 new cases.
The government begins preparations to lock up the entire state. Much of the discussion during the day focuses on Varadkar’s extraordinary attack. Opposition politicians criticize him. Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald describes it as ‘free’, while Labor’s Duncan Smith says Mr Varadkar entered the tackle with both feet. “
Regarding the broader question of what level of restrictions was appropriate, most parties agree with the Government’s assessment, although Solidarity-People before profit defends Level 5.
In a prelude to things to come, the GAA from the day before banned all club games, following a series of shameful events involving post-match celebrations by club teams across the country.
At a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting that evening, Mr. Varadkar cautions his deputies and senators that just because the government rejected Level 3 does not mean that a “circuit breaker” would not be necessary if the numbers did not stabilize. .
Varadkar also calls Dr. Holohan that night to discuss her harsh criticism of him. He says he didn’t apologize, but the two of them had a long discussion that apparently cleared the air. “We are on the same team,” Varadkar says afterward, adding that he was “really unhappy about what happened Sunday night and the anxiety and fear it caused hundreds of thousands of people.”
Wednesday October 7
Five deaths; 611 new cases.
The national movement to Level 3 begins with Operation Fanacht de An Garda Síochána. Checkpoints are set up across the state and lead to huge rear-end on freeways, some of which go as far back as 5 miles.
While it generates great frustration among motorists and professional drivers, comments the government receives suggest a 25 percent reduction in traffic volume.
At the launch of the Climate Change Act, Mr. Martin says how important it was for Level 3 to function as Level 4 or 5 would have profound negative implications for society.
It also indicates that the government could consider fines for people who do not comply with the rules of social distancing, such as the use of masks indoors.
Around the same time, at Nphet’s daily meeting, Dr. Holohan drops a new bomb. He revealed his contacts with Donnelly on Saturday, and before and after Nphet’s meeting on Sunday.
It dilutes the comments of the Tánaiste on Monday that the information had come “out of nowhere.”
Dr. Holohan explains his contacts with Donnelly: “We just discussed my concerns, the concerns that I shared with some of the conversations I had had with various members of Nphet over the past 24 hours.”
Dr. Holohan says he did not specifically say he wanted to upgrade to Level 5, but added that “he was very clear about the level of concern he would have had.”
Donnelly then confirms that Dr. Holohan spoke to him about his concerns on Sunday and the need to increase the level of restrictions.
A spokeswoman says: “After the Nphet meeting, the Minister was informed for the first time that he had recommended a move to Level 5.”
Thursday October 8
Following Dr. Holohan’s revelation, opposition politicians Thursday morning quickly focused on the confusion surrounding who knew what and when. They ask Donnelly to make a full statement to Dáil.
The political consequences are as follows: If the government were aware at the time of the Nphet meeting that it was considering that two-step jump to Level 5, it would seriously undermine its entire approach from Sunday until its decision on Monday night and also damage your credibility.
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