NPHET to discuss Kildare lockdown and pubs reopening

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is expected to discuss Kildare's lockdown at its meeting this morning.

Acting chief medical officer, Ronan Glynn, said the measures may be lifted earlier than September 6, as currently planned.

The chief executive of County Kildare Chamber of Commerce, Allan Shine, said they should be lifted immediately: "The number of positive cases over the past few days have dropped dramatically for Kildare, so we believe that now is the time that the restrictions are lifted.

"The economy in Kildare can't take this anymore. Jobs have been lost on a daily basis. 

"1200 jobs were lost in the first two weeks of restrictions and we estimate that close to 2000 jobs will be lost on the current restrictions."

According to an immunologist, there's a "default notion" of bringing in lockdowns to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks. 

Paul Moynagh, Professor of Immunology at Maynooth University, said there are better alternatives to be explored: "We need to move beyond lockdown and move beyond this idea, that there seems to be this default idea or notion of responding by going to either local or full lockdown and again I think we need to be more targeted. 

"We obviously imply that it is very important in terms of personal responsibility and social responsibility in terms of complying with social distancing, hygiene, and masks but also supplement that with really good testing and tracing."

NPHET will also consider whether pubs should be allowed to reopen on Monday, after being shut since March.

Dr Jack Lambert, a professor of infectious diseases, said they should be given the green light to open because they are a vital social outlet.

He also claims the Covid-19 crisis has had big impact on people's mental health.

Dr Lambert said: "I see lots of unnecessary illnesses coming into the emergency room at the Mater Hospital because I work on-call there. 

"People not taking their medicine, a lot of it substance abuse-related problems, suicide, psychological, alcohol withdrawal injecting drugs, just coping problems."