Reducing the two-metre rule would help us, says HSE boss

‘We are more aware of how it can spread’

THE head of the Health Service Executive said that reducing the physical-distancing policy to one metre would give health officials ‘significant extra capacity’ to manage ill patients and emergency departments.

Paul Reid said the current expert advice of keeping the public two metres apart has created ‘significant implications’ for capacity across the State’s health facilities.

The chief executive told the weekly HSE briefing that they have to follow advice issued by the National Public Health and Emergency Team.

The Government has urged the public to maintain a two-metre distance from others when outside their homes. However, concerns have been raised about people’s ability to practise physical distancing while using public transport.

Mr Reid said: ‘The NPHET guidance and Government guidance is two metres and that’s what we are planning in terms of framework for new services to work through.

‘That does have significant implications for us in terms of emergency departments, patients’ waiting rooms, so two metres will reduce the volume we could have attending at a particular time.

‘But we have to work off what the current guidance is – there is no doubt one metre would give us significant extra capacity in terms of managing our ill patients or managing our EDs (emergency departments) or generally managing our services, but we will be guided by the current guidance.’

HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said that some advice has changed as experts gain a better understanding of the virus.

He added: ‘It was only through the measures that were brought in on March 27, which were quite stringent but included social distancing of two metres, that we were able to not just bend the curve but really reduce it down to where it is now.

‘We see many countries, including the United States and the UK, including a distance of two metres. It’s based on the projected length a droplet can spread.

‘Initially, we thought this was through coughing and sneezing, but as we get a greater understanding of this virus we are more aware of how it can spread in less obvious situations and indeed and how it can spread from people who are asymptotic or pre-symptomatic.

‘In the HSE, we are governed by decisions of NPHET and how they advise is based on the best international advice.’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there had been ‘no change’ to advice on the two-metre rule.

Speaking yesterday, Labour leader Alan Kelly said: ‘If social-distancing rules are reduced to one metre, it could significantly increase the treatment capacity and throughput of our health service, if it was safe to do so, and it would help the healthcare roadmap for opening up of services. There is a clear divergence now between the WHO and the Government.’

Mr Kelly said that the current crisis has ‘all but shut down’ most nonessential treatments and cancer screenings which will ‘have a major impact on health outcomes for our people’.

‘Even when some services return, capacity will be much lower,’ he said. ‘The Minister for Health should commission an audit immediately to determine what the ongoing impact of either the twometre, or one-metre rule would be on our health system. If it is safe to change to one metre, as the WHO recommends, then it will contribute to the saving of lives from nonCovid diseases and conditions.’

The Taoiseach said last week that the two-metre social-distancing rule stands and that there has been no change to public health advice. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan also said last week that the two-metre rule is being kept under review.

According to the HSE, attendances at emergency departments are down 22% and admissions from EDs are down 14% from the same time last year.