Missed figures and row about testing a cause for concern as country reopens

AFTER two long months in lock-down, the re-opening of some businesses on Monday and a return to work for thousands of workers is a major and very welcome step for the country. Only a fraction of businesses have reopened but the return to the tiniest sense of normality is a cause for celebration.

That construction workers are able to get back will provide a massive boost to the economy while the fact that people can now meet some of their friends and loved ones again – albeit only outdoors and in very limited numbers – will be greeted with outright jubilation by many.

We are only at the early stages of re-opening the country but even the baby steps taken this week are a reason for renewed optimism. To paraphrase Neil Armstrong, it’s a small step for the country but a giant leap in our fight against the Coronavirus.

Amid the celebration – however muted it is - there is, however, cause for serious concern about the apparent breakdown in communications in key sections of the health service.

The revelation that the all-powerful National Public Health Emergency Team announced a massive ramping up of testing apparently without alerting the HSE was worrying but the news that hundreds of COVID-19 cases at the Mater Hospital were not recorded correctly is, frankly, shocking.

That 244 cases – some of which date back as far as March and all involving staff – could have, somehow, slipped through the cracks is as astonishing as it is disturbing.

The HSE and management at the Mater said the hospital had met every legal requirement and notified the HSE about every case at the hospital.

The HSE is now working to find out how, in that case, these patients came to be omitted from the records and where and how the chain of communication broke down.

With the vast majority of the public doing their bit by following social distancing guidelines – and obeying lock-down rules without complaint – the revelations are a huge embarrassment for the Government and the health service chiefs leading Ireland’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The huge discrepancy in the Mater’s case figures and the apparent divisions between the NPHET and HSE over testing rates go to the very heart of the State strategy to combat the virus.

That strategy is entirely based on accurate figures and a high volume of testing with rapid results. A problem with either is a worry, issues with both could be a disaster.

From the early days of the crisis the Government and the health sector have been refreshingly open about the crisis providing detailed daily updates on the virus, its spread and what was being done about it.

That openness was vital in getting the public on board and ensuring people followed social distancing rules. If that faith isn’t to be shattered at a critical moment the people must have answers about the very serious issues that have emerged.

This is not a time for face saving. The people must be told precisely what happened, nothing less will suffice.