Cllr Carthy urges people to self isolate
CHAIRMAN of the Rosslare Municipal District and Advanced Paramedic with the HSE, Cllr Ger Carthy has urged people to remain calm, but at the same time urged them to avoid any unnecessary contact or gathering in public.
‘You have to look at the most vulnerable people in your circle first,’ Cllr Carthy said. ‘Family members who are vulnerable would be where you start and then work your way out to wider family, your local community and your county. We’ve got to look at this in the same way that an intensive care nurse would and wash our hands after every interaction. There needs to be personal responsibility here if we’re going to have any chance of getting a handle on this thing.’
Cllr Carthy said that Wexford County Council had learned a lot from the heavy snowfall two years ago in terms of building up a directory of contacts in communities. He also added that he feels additional screening should be mandatory for those coming home from Cheltenham.
‘I think the 18,000 people coming back from Cheltenham should self-isolate,’ he said. ‘It’s a small price to pay for keeping a handle on this.’
Equally Cllr Carthy said it would probably be wise for people to stay out of the pubs for a couple of weeks.
‘It’s a real catch 22 situation,’ he said. ‘A lot of people are off work and college and that type of thing, but I think staying out of the pubs for two or three weeks would be a small price to pay.’
In relation to the panic buying seen in recent days, Cllr Carthy called for calm.
‘It’s crazy what’s been going on,’ he said. ‘You’d have to question the mentality of these people. We’ve been told that the supply chain is okay and that there’s no reduction in supply. It’s greed that’s built up in certain areas and people solely looking after themselves.’
After praising the great work being done by front line doctors, paramedics and other healthcare workers in relation to coronavirus, Cllr Carthy offered the following advice: ‘Do what you can to isolate yourself. This will pass, but it will take a few weeks. We need to mitigate against it. If you’re not exposed to the virus, then you can’t contract it.’