{"id":24073,"date":"2021-11-21T12:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-21T17:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24073"},"modified":"2021-11-22T09:09:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T14:09:31","slug":"coveney-still-possible-to-avoid-lockdown-despite-case-surge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24073","title":{"rendered":"Coveney: Still Possible To Avoid Lockdown Despite Case Surge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ireland is experiencing a fourth wave of the pandemic, prompting fears about the capacity of the health system to cope (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said it was still possible to avoid a return to lockdown, amid a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Coveney appealed to people to follow public health advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is possible to avoid the introduction of more restrictions, but we will have to watch the numbers very closely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFuture lockdowns are not inevitable, but they require a national effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland is experiencing a fourth wave of the pandemic, prompting fears about the capacity of the health system to cope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A further 4,181 Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the country on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were 668 patients in hospitals with the disease, with 125 in intensive care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Coveney declined to point to any specific sectors that might bear the brunt of fresh restrictions, but promised Government support to any industry affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government has faced criticism for declining to re-establish the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) for workers following the recent introduction of new measures designed to curb the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Coveney indicated that the payment would be on the agenda when ministers met next week at a Cabinet sub-committee, although he did not go into more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said he \u201cstrongly expects\u201d the Government will act as soon as next Tuesday to make antigen testing kits cheaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During an appearance on RTE\u2019s The Week In Politics program, the senior Fine Gael minister faced questions from opposition TDs about progress on antigen testing and the rollout of booster jabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 500,000 boosters have been administered in Ireland so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinn F\u00e9in TD Louise O\u2019Reilly, appearing on the same program, accused the Government of \u201cdithering\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is a lot of leadership that is absolutely absent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have finally come around to what Sinn F\u00e9in and others have been saying on antigen testing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall said: \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt the situation is very grave and we have a very narrow window of opportunity to try to flatten the curve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said that the Government had been \u201cvery, very slow\u201d on booster jabs and that the current difficulty in booking PCR tests, amid a spike in demand among the public, was \u201cnot acceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said the \u201cbig failure\u201d of the Government had also been the missed opportunity to build capacity in the hospital system and create extra beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Coveney defended the Government saying \u201cOn antigen testing, there is a lot of antigen testing going on already and it has been going on for many months,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are acting with urgency regarding booster rollout.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan called on people to follow the public health advice and asked anyone eligible for a booster vaccine to take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can change the trajectory of this disease,\u201d Dr Holohan said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmall changes, by all of us, will make a big difference collectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTogether we can break the chains of transmission and bring down disease incidence. By doing so we can have a real impact on the number of people who end up seriously ill and in hospital in mid-December.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He warned that the situation was having a dangerous impact on non-Covid care in the health system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe current level of Covid-19 in Ireland is having a negative impact on the health of the people of Ireland and placing an enormous burden on our entire health system, from public health to general practice to our acute hospitals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are all, understandably, very tired of this pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTime and again we have asked the Irish people to take on board public health messaging and act for the collective good. And time and again the vast majority have listened to that message and responded.\u201d<\/p>\n

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