Disgust as Harris ‘coughed at’
Targeted as part of of sinister ‘challenge’
SIMON Harris has told of his disgust after a young couple coughed on him and ran off laughing as part of a sinister new trend called the ‘corona challenge’.
He condemned the new trend as ‘disgusting’ yesterday, and asked perpetrators to consider it happening to their ‘granny or grandad’.
The incident happened on Tuesday, with the Health Minister remarking: ‘In relation to young people coughing in peoples’ faces, this happened to me yesterday. I was walking from Government Buildings to my department when a man and woman on the street thought it was hilariously funny to come up and cough at me and then run off laughing.
‘Can we please look at what is happening in Italy and the European Union where we are seeing several hundred people a day dying from a virus that can be deadly to certain people in the population.
‘Particularly older people are being targeted in relation to this which seems to be some sort of social media game. But it’s not a game, it is disgusting. That you would target certain people in the community, generally older people, and go up and cough in their face, video it, have a laugh and run off.
‘Think if it happened to your own granny, grandad, mother, father, or your own friend with underlying health conditions like cystic fibrosis.
‘There’s nothing amusing about it, it’s quite pathetic.’
Mr Harris was speaking at the launch of a new Covid-19 booklet that will be delivered to every home in Ireland for free by An Post. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the booklet explains what ‘we’re doing as a country, what we need to do to slow the spread of the virus and brings together the best advice from our medical health experts’.
He added: ‘This is the basic piece of information that everyone needs to know and absorb as soon as you get this through your letterbox. It’s very easy to be misled and this book cuts through the confusion and, in doing so, performs the vital function.’
Mr Varadkar said Ireland will not now reach the previously estimated 15,000 cases of coronavirus in Ireland by the end of March. He said: ‘That was based on a 30-33% increase in new cases every day, that being an exponential increase, that
‘New cases continue to rise’
hasn’t happened yet. It looks like we’re going to come in lower than 15,000. That is of course 15,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, there are many more cases not confirmed.
‘I hope that is some evidence of some of the measures people are taking are having some effect, but what is certainly the case is the number of new cases is continuing to rise.’
He stressed the figures should not be taken as a sign that Ireland is containing the virus.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said she has pressed the HSE on personal protection equipment. ‘It is something that is being repeatedly raised with us and it is obviously an issue of concern for frontline healthcare workers, including homecare workers,’ she said.
‘The HSE has told us they are expecting a delivery on Sunday and that should alleviate some of the pressure.’
Meanwhile, new rules have been introduced in Ireland for people seeking testing for coronavirus. Patients requesting a test will now have to display two major symptoms – such as a fever and at least one sign of respiratory disease, like a cough or shortness of breath – before they are referred.
People will also have to fall into a particular group to be tested. This includes those in contact with a confirmed case, healthcare workers, vulnerable groups and those who live in long-term care facilities.