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A senior health official has urged the public not to panic about coronavirus, insisting the risk level remained low in the country.<\/p>\nA senior health official has urged the public not to panic about coronavirus, insisting the risk level remained low in the country.<\/p>\n
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in the Ireland, coming two days after the first case in the North, did not change the risk status on the island.<\/p>\n
The authorities are working to identify those who have had contact with the male patient who lives in the east of the country \u2013 a process Dr Glynn described as \u201ccomplex\u201d.<\/p>\n
Like the woman who is being treated for Coronavirus north of the border, he contracted it in an affected area in northern Italy.<\/p>\n
The patient, who self-identified his symptoms, is reportedly being treated in a Dublin hospital.<\/p>\n
Dr Glynn said the State was prepared if the outbreak worsened. He said in such circumstances the Government may be forced to take measures including school closures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ECDC, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, has been clear that the situation that we\u2019ve seen evolve in Italy, there\u2019s a moderate to high likelihood that that will occur in other countries such as Ireland,\u201d he told RT\u00c9 Radio One.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are preparing for that here, but that notwithstanding, we still remain in a containment phase here.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019ve had one case, there is no evidence of community transmission so far in Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt won\u2019t be surprising if we have more cases. But the confirmation of the case here, and the case in Northern Ireland in the past number of days, does not change our risk status and does not change our approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI would reiterate again, that the risk to an individual in Ireland at the moment remains low, people should not panic, but they should certainly appraise themselves of the measures that they themselves can take to protect themselves, and first and foremost that\u2019s about following the correct information and using basic hand hygiene and taking those measures regularly and appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deputy chief medical officer said it was possible that school closures would be required if the risk status changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s possible that measures like that will need to be taken and we\u2019ll need to continue to monitor the situation clearly as it evolves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut again I reiterate that, at the moment, we\u2019re in containment phase. That\u2019s not something (school closures) we envisage in the near future.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut obviously, we\u2019re monitoring developments and if measures like that need to be taken, they will be taken and the reasoning behind those measures will be communicated to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about whether large gatherings such as this month\u2019s St Patrick\u2019s Day events will need to be cancelled, Dr Glynn said officials were still working on criteria, which would be made public in the coming days.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly there will be events of major or national significance that will require input from public health doctors and medical expertise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The medical expert said people would not currently be exposing themselves to an increased risk if they attended large public gatherings.<\/p>\n
He also ruled out entry testing for the virus at airports \u2013 potentially by taking passenger temperatures \u2013 insisting such measures did not work.<\/p>\n
Dr Glynn provided an update on efforts to reach those who had been in contact with the male patient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe process of contact tracing is a complex one, it only started less than 24 hours ago and is ongoing,\u201d he said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a whole range of risk assessments that underpin that contact tracing process. Public health doctors commenced it last night \u2013 it\u2019s ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWhat I can say is that the people, in the first instance the doctors who need to have this information, have this information.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they will be contacting the contacts who need to have more information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hours before the confirmed case was announced on Saturday, Government ministers on both sides of the Irish border held talks on how to co-ordinate their response to the coronavirus spread.<\/p>\n
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris held a conference call with Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster, Deputy First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill and Health Minister Robin Swann.<\/p>\n
Senior health officials from both jurisdictions were also involved in the discussions, which focused on north-south co-operation.<\/p>\n
Mr Swann said: \u201cWe will continue to co-operate on contact tracing and other vital steps as we work relentlessly to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cPositive test results had been anticipated on both sides of the border and we have repeatedly made clear it was a question of when, not if.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have full confidence in the expertise and commitment of our public health professionals and pay tribute to everyone working hard to contain the spread of this virus and keep us well.\u201d<\/p>\n