RCSI professor: If Covid-19 restrictions are eased public must take responsibility for their behaviour

Ruairí Brugha, professor of epidemiology and public health medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has warned that “we’re looking at the long haul” and that “we’re not going back to normal” with regard to hygiene and physical distancing.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland also warned that if restrictions are eased “in a phased way” it is up to the public to take responsibility for their behaviour.

“It is not enough to have four fifths of us taking responsibility. It takes only a small number behaving in a celebratory manner … I takes only two to three per cent behaving in an irresponsible way and the virus will jump up again.

“It will be very difficult to put a halt on measures.”

Prof Brugha said that Ireland will need to know “that we can manage the risks.”

“If we don’t have a proven testing and tracking system, we won’t be in a position to risk new cases in the community.”

Prof. Brugha added: “How I behave, how all of us behave will determine if we maintain control or risk a second epidemic down the road.

“We can’t keep things the way they are."

Any changes need to be made in a phased way and the public needs to “double down” on hygiene and distancing, he said.

“We can only move on to the next phase if people take responsibility for their behaviour.”

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