A MATER OF FACT
»» Probe launched into late reporting of 244 Covid cases »»Hospital insists it provided details to HSE on daily basis
THE Mater Hospital is being investigated after more than 200 cases of Covid-19 were reported two months late.
The 244 infections, some of which date back to mid-march, were revealed to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre on Thursday.
It resulted in the tally of confirmed cases being significantly higher than in recent days.
In a statement, the hospital said it had reported positive results to the relevant authorities on a daily basis.
It added: “At all times the Mater provided the information that the HSE required and met all legal requirements to report infectious diseases.
“All of this information is correct and up to date. We are working with the HSE to understand why the provided data may not have been accurately captured.
“The Mater Hospital has also carried out comprehensive contact tracing on every single member of staff who tested positive for Covid-19 through our occupational health department in line with best practice. In excess of 300 staff have tested positive for Covid-19 and a further 1,500 have self-isolated following contact tracing to protect patients, fellow staff and the public, despite the enormous impact this has had on our operations.”
The HSE said the issue was under review with the Ireland East Hospital Group and the Mater Hospital.
Covid-19 has been a notifiable disease under infectious diseases legislation since February.
A medical practitioner or medical officer in a hospital must notify the authorities of a case “forthwith”. Following Thursday’s announcement of 426 cases, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said it was not evidence of a “new wave” of infection, insisting hundreds related to the batch of unreported test results from the Mater.
He told the daily Covid-19 briefing inquiries were ongoing to establish what had gone wrong and to make sure it had not happened in any other hospital.
Health Minister Simon Harris said the rules are “very clear” with regard to coronavirus infections.
He added: “Covid-19 cases must be reported. I
think it’s very important, when we are trying to monitor and inform the public on the prevalence of this virus, there is a very accurate disclosure.”
Asked if it is a criminal matter, Mr Harris said: “That also needs to be checked.”
News of the investigation came as it was revealed another 16 people have died from the virus and 129 have become infected. The death toll now stands at 1,518 with 23,956 confirmed cases.
Of those who have died, 760 were men and 758 women, with an average age of 82. As the country prepares for some lockdown restrictions to be lifted, Dr Holohan said he was happy to be able to advise an easing of measures but warned people against having barbecues.
He added the National Public Health Emergency Team would watch the transmission rate of the virus closely over the coming weeks, admitting he did not envisage a scenario in which phase two of the plan would be brought forward.
The CMO revealed NPHET has advised the Government it will look at new measures to ease the impact of lockdown on youngsters. He told the Irish Mirror: “We would like to give specific consideration in the next interval to what additional measures we might be able to identify in relation to the impact on children.
“The burden on children has been particularly challenging and difficult. We will be looking over the course of the next week or two, are there other things we can do that can make it easier? The situation is always subject to change.”
However, he insisted this would not include a u-turn on opening schools earlier than September.
And he told over-70s that while new rules on gatherings of four people in the outdoors do apply to them, they should still refrain from going to shops.
Dr Holohan also revealed health chiefs here are investigating seven children following an alert that a rise in cases of rare Kawasaki Syndrome – also known as PIMS – around the world could be linked to Covid-19.
The condition affects mostly young people and causes severe illness and high temperature.