Preparing for the inevitable
ALL ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADES CANCELLED, INDEFINITE BAN ON HOSPITAL VISITORS AND COUNTY COUNCIL TAKING STEPS FOR COMPLETE SHUTDOWN DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
WEXFORD is preparing for an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus with containment measures which include an indefinite ban on hospital visitors and the cancellation of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Wexford County Council said it is expecting a large number of staff absences from local authority departments with a worst-case scenario being a complete shut down.
Acting Director of Services Carolyn Godkin told a meeting on Monday that the Council doesn’t want to generate panic but it is taking the Covid-19 threat very seriously. ‘It’s highly likely that it will emerge within the coming days,’ she said at yesterday’s (Monday) Wexford County Council meeting.
Wexford General Hospital has moved to protect patients and staff by implementing visitor restrictions which will continue for the forseeable future and a visitor ban has also been put in place in local community hospitals where vulnerable elderly patients are cared for.
The St Patrick’s Day Parade in Wexford town, which would have been expected to attract 5,000 participants and an additional 6,000 spectators, has been cancelled following a Government decision on Monday to call for the shelving of all parades in the country, to minimise the spread of the virus.
Wexford parade secretary John Fowler expressed disappointment but said: ‘What can we do, if the Government pulls the plug, we have to abide by it’.
VISITOR restrictions have been put in place for the forseeable future at Wexford General Hospital as well as community hospitals for the elderly throughtout the county to minimise the spread of coronavirus.
Wexford Hospital which is the official receiving centre for coronavirus cases with an isolation unit set up near the Accident and Emergency department, introduced a ban on general visiting last Friday, which will continue until further notice.
The Ireland East Hospital Group said the ban is ‘a precautionary measure in order to protect the safety of patients and staff and to help prevent the spread of infection.’
It has advised that children in particular should not visit patients in hospital. The ban on visitors also applies to patients attending the Accident and Emergency department of the hospital, who are asked to limit the number of people accompanying them.
‘We are appealing to members of the public to co-operate with these necessary restrictions’, said a spokeswoman.
‘Patients may use their mobile phone to keep in contact with their families during their stay in hospital while the visiting ban is in place’, she said.
‘We understand that visiting restrictions may be upsetting for patients and their families. However, our priority is to protect all patients in our hospitals who are vulnerable to infection’, she said, adding that all other services will continue to operate normally.
In relation to patients attending Accident and Emergency, the hospital is asking relatives to use common sense and to limit the number of people accompanying someone to A&E where possible.
Visiting restrictions have also been imposed in community hospitals and healthcare facilities where elderly people are cared for, including St. John’s Hospital in Enniscorthy, Gorey District Hospital, the New Haughton Hospital in New Ross and Abbeygale House in Farnogue.
General visiting is not being facilitated at these premises, according to a HSE spokesperson.
South East Community Healthcare which is responsible for the community facilities, is asking families of patients to nominate a key person to link with relevant hospital staff.
‘SECH apologises for any inconvenience this may cause but patient safety is a priority at this time’ it said.
Wexford Hospital is allowing visits by relatives in certain cases such as parents visiting children, partners of maternity patients, people visiting end-oflife patients, a nominated carer or family member assisting with confused patients and immediate family members visiting patients in the Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit.
The exemptions are limited to only one person per patient, except where wheelchair or other support for a visiting relative is needed.
The restrictions are being implemented by security staff at the entrance to the hospital.