Strong chance of a second surge here ...and it’ll emerge from a meat plant

Fears we will see new wave like Germany

THERE is a ‘strong possibility’ of a resurgence of Covid-19 here, beginning in meat-processing plants, it has been claimed.

Fresh concerns of a second wave of the virus have been expressed by the union Siptu following the reproduction number (R rate) of cases in Germany rose sharply over the weekend following outbreaks at meat plants.

Data published by the Robert Koch Institute puts Germany’s R-number at 2.88. A reproduction rate of 1 means each person with coronavirus will infect an average of one other person.

In Ireland, the R number is now estimated to be close to 0.7.

And while measures to curb the clusters in the country’s 47 meat-processing plants in recent weeks have been implemented, Siptu divisional organiser Greg Ennis believes they don’t go far enough to stop the risk of further outbreaks.

Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, he said the lack of invited union engagement with Meat Industry Ireland may prove to be a significant factor in a resurgence of the disease, adding: ‘I’m seriously concerned about the potential for an increase in the R rate, particularly in the meat industry.’

‘We saw 1,060 cases of Covid-19 out of 15,000 employees in meat factories throughout Ireland.

‘Although, safety measures have been taken, put in place recently, we still maintain massive worries because MII have failed to engage with us. What the Government need to understand is that these people’s terms and conditions of employment may contribute to a resurgence in itself – it’s a strong possibility.’

He continued: ‘Many of those working in meat plants are paid just over minimum wage, which means they are forced into communal living and have to share bedrooms with one another, and travel together to and from work. If they had a reasonable rate of pay then they wouldn’t have to share their accommodation or transport, which is why it’s so important we engage with MII.’

Meanwhile, lockdown could be enforced on a regional basis if clusters of coronavirus break out in certain areas, an infectious disease specialist has said.

Professor Sam McConkey said while it is unclear where and when clusters of the virus will occur again, putting the country into full lockdown again would not be the best approach.

The head of the department of international health and tropical medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons said: ‘We have seen in Milan when things were really appalling in northern Italy – towns there have a “cordon sanitaire”, which is the French word for a sanitary curtain.

‘It essentially means there is an area people can’t travel across in the event of an outbreak,’ he told RTÉ Radio’s Today With Sarah McInerney show.

‘That can work and it might be preferable to the whole of the country going back into Phase 1 or Phase Zero. I hope we get more finessed or targeted restrictions so maybe people in Clones to Athlone would go back to Phase 1 in the event of a major outbreak but the rest of the country would not.’ He said there have been several clusters in workplaces and homes in Ireland, adding it is almost inevitable there will be more here.

The challenge, he said, will be in detecting and isolating these clusters as early as possible.

Speaking last night, Dr Tony Holohan confirmed that preparations are being made in the event of a resurgence of Covid-19.

‘It won’t be the same set of measures that we took as we responded to the disease to begin with,’ the

Chief Medical Officer said. ‘It’s a challenge when you seek to apply sub-national recommendations that can be assured they’re targeted precisely to a population and geographic region.

‘Ultimately, when it comes to effective measures it will still come back to personal responsibility and keeping up the standards of basic health advice,’ he said.

Dr Ronan Glynn added he hopes meat-processing plant staff and managers are more informed about the seriousness of the pandemic.

‘Certainly, the measures introduced in meat plants seemed to have worked in suppressing the outbreaks. Clearly a lot has been learned in terms of what’s worked and what didn’t work,’ he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said having an R rate below 1 means that we’re continuing to suppress and reduce the virus. ‘It is important to note that the average number of cases has been nearly constant for the last two weeks, the number of people in and admitted to hospital and ICUs and the number of Covid19-related deaths continues to decrease,’ he said.

‘As long as the R number remains below 1, this indicates that we are continuing to suppress and reduce the prevalence of the Covid-19 virus in Irish society.’

Attempts have been made to contact Meat Industry Ireland for comment.

‘They are forced into communal living’ ‘Clearly a lot has been learned’