If you’re waiting for a test, act like you have disease
Health boss tells those who have symptoms to be vigilant as increase in demand rises sharply
AS the number of cases of coronavirus in the Republic surpasses 1,000, the Department of Health has revealed there has been a significant increase in the demand for testing, running to ‘tens of thousands’ every day.
On Sunday, it was revealed that there were over 40,000 people waiting for a test in Ireland, with the HSE massively scaling up testing capabilities in response.
As of yesterday, a further two people died from the coronavirus, bringing to six the number of deaths in the country. It is not known yet whether those people had underlying medical conditions.
An additional 219 people have tested positive for the virus, bringing the total confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland to 1,125.
Speaking yesterday, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan said the ‘very significant increase in demand for testing’ has resulted in ‘some pressure’ being applied to services.
Asked about the backlog in testing, Dr Holohan said the important measure in controlling the spread of the infection is self-isolation, and that if people are waiting on a test, they should act as if they have the virus and self-isolate.
‘The important measure in terms of public health management and prevention of spread is that people self-isolate,’ he said. ‘If somebody has symptoms, our advice is to self-isolate. If somebody has a GP recommend for them to have a test and that test is happening as quickly as we would like, or as quickly as they would like, our recommendation is that people would consider themselves to have this disease until such time they have the test that tells them otherwise, and self-isolate, and members of their household, who are their close contacts, to self-isolate for that period of time.’
Dr Holohan warned that we are still in the early stage of this outbreak.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet today to consider if any more control measures will need to be introduced in the coming weeks in order to better reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
A number of restrictions in place, such as the closure of schools, universities and childcare facilities, are due to expire on Sunday of this week, and the issue will be addressed at the meeting today.
This comes as a number of beaches and public areas across the country were closed over the weekend due to people not observing social distancing measures.
One example of this was in the Glendalough Valley in Co. Wicklow, which forced the local council to close car parks until further notice. Yesterday, Wicklow County Council also announced all public playgrounds, the Cliff Walk from Bray to Greystones, and the public toilets at Bray seafront will all be closed until further notice.
The council said it took the action out of concern regarding social distancing requirements.
Speaking yesterday on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Health Minister Simon Harris said some people have not been able to follow the two-metre distancing measure.
‘Perhaps greater guidance in relation to playgrounds and public spaces could be useful as well, and perhaps greater guidance and support for businesses, too,’ he said. ‘Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer, will analyse all of these things, he will look at the current restrictions and how well does he think they’re working, and he will give us a view on that.’
During a press conference yesterday, Dr Holohan would not be drawn on what additional control measures the NPHET may consider, but he said that he is ‘pleased with response of the Irish public for the great majority of circumstances’.
‘The public has been with us in implementing the social distancing measures that we have mandated. That doesn’t mean we don’t identify from time to time the need to reinforce that measure... the need to think of additional things that will help to get that message across further,’ he said.
Regarding the NPHET meeting, Dr Holohan said: ‘We will review the various measures in place, look at ways where we may need to reinforce some of those measures, what, if any, next steps there may be and what continuing public health advice needs to be.’
Dr Holohan said that soon, they hope to be in position to give weekly updates on the number of people who have recovered following a case of the coronavirus.
According to the World Health Organisation, the number of cases of the coronavirus has reached over 333,000 worldwide, resulting in over 14,500 deaths. The disease has now been found in 189 countries. Speaking yesterday, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the ‘pandemic is accelerating’.
‘It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000 cases, and four days for the third 100,000 cases,’ he said.
Yesterday, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney revealed he has been tested for the coronavirus after he was in close contact with a confirmed case.
On Twitter, he said: ‘I was contacted by the HSE contact tracing team to say I had been in close contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19. I followed all protocols and tested negative.’