Entire population should be tested and allow Ireland to break lockdown loop nightmare
LET’S be honest. Since the first lockdown, Nphet and the Government have simply and only reacted to the numbers.
Cases go up and restrictions go up. Cases go down and restrictions go down.
We hear the same scripts: “The next two weeks will be critical”; “We need to contact trace”; “What are the sources of spreading Covid?”
The country needs to be proactive in order to get out of the Covid Lockdown Loop.
Without a change in approach, we will be in a cycle of lockdowns for the next few years. You can be sure that after the holiday season, cases will rise again and we’ll be in lockdown again.
It seems we wait until we see smoke and then look for the fire.
We need a new approach that gets ahead of things. Specifically, let’s Covid test every man, woman and child in the country.
This may sound unrealistic but it is not.
I’m not a scientist but it would seem if we knew who has Covid and who does not, we’d be able to start getting back to business.
Isolate those with Covid and those without can go about their business.
The Government has spent billions to shore up the economy, the health system and more. Well done. But, we could test everyone for much less money.
Assume a population of five million and a high estimated per test cost of €200 – total cost: €1bn. Far less than economic costs to date.
While efforts to date by the HSE, Government and citizens are commendable, we need new thinking.
John Shirey
Malahide, Co Dublin