COVID-19 fears spark debate amongst Cllrs
CASTLEISLAND-CORCA DHUIBHNE CLLRS DIFFER WILDLY ON HANDLING COVID-19; ‘COSAÍ’ CALLS TO GET ON WITH MEETING
CLLR Breandán Fitzgerald (Fianna Fáil) has called for more beds to be opened at Community Hospitals in the county, to take pressure off University Hospital Kerry in the current environment.
Cllr Fitzgerald was speaking at last week’s Castleisland- Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District meeting as the topic of the COVID-19 epidemic came up.
“Like everyone else here, I’m very worried,” he said. “But I’m not a medical expert, and I believe we should follow the instructions we’re receiving from National Public Health Emergency team.”
He did, however, call for the six beds closed at West Kerry Community Hospital before
Christmas to be re-opened, as he said the current outbreak will push the national health system to the limit.
“I cannot see why the extra beds cannot be opened,” he said. “Dingle was built for 60 beds, there’s only 43 open. Open the full 60.”
Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae criticised the HSE for not providing more precise locations of where COVID-19 cases have been confirmed. He said that the HSE’s policy of stating the region but not the county of a confirmed case is causing rumour and misinformation.
“That has to stop,” he said. “They have to start identifying the counties.
“I got a Facebook message asking was there an outbreak in Killarney? All this vagueness leads to misinformation.”
He also hit out at the Cheltenham Festival going ahead last week.
“It’s probably an absolute cesspit right now,” he said. “All it takes is for one person to have it [COVID-19] to spread it around… are these people going to be tested when they return?”
Cllr Fionnán Fitzgerald (Fianna Fáil) said it was not enough to be pointing fingers at authority, and said it was up to the public as well to take simple hygiene measures.
He also criticised the “imperialistic attitude” of opposing what authority has to say and instead encourage the public to heed expert advice.
Party colleague Michael O’Shea was against creating “an atmosphere of hysteria” given how important tourism is to Kerry.
“I would keep very lukewarm in terms of making people fearful,” he said. He praised the HSE for its handling of the situation to date and encouraged the public to “Stay local, keep local, shop local, and keep to yourself.”
Councillor Charlie Farrelly did praise the HSE but said “Somebody has got it wrong somewhere along the line from headquarters in Dublin”.
“Last week we had 3,400 Italian fans from Lombardy and packed the pubs watching the rugby matches,” he said. “We have maybe up to 1,000 people coming back to Kerry from Cheltenham. They’re coming back through the airports, and we can’t even swab test them?
He also requested that three pop-up stations be set up in the MD – in Milltown, Castleisland, and Dingle – where elderly people could go for a swab test.
He said it might only need to operate for a short time, and he suggested it could be manned by volunteers if need be, but this point drew a sharp response from Director of Services John Breen.
“Hold on one second, Councillor,” he said. “We [Kerry County Council] will be guided by the advice of public health authorities.
“To be calling on volunteers in the context of a virus situation that needs protective clothing and training…We’ve to be very, very careful with the statements we’re putting out.”
Cllr Farrelly accepted that point but said “the expert advisory group is advocating that, should such an emergency arise, they’d be looking for volunteers with medical [experience].”
An exasperated Councillor Séamus Cosaí Fitzgerald (Fine Gael), while acknowledging that the issue is a serious one, said he’d listen to the experts and asked to get back to the meeting’s agenda.
“The Taoiseach and the Ministers are going by the HSE and Dr Tony Holohan [yet] here we are trying to make our own policies and decisions,” he said. “We [the Councillors] have no say in this...Come on, we’ll be here until six o’clock in the way we’re going.”