'Wet' pubs unlikely to open in Limerick or Dublin, according to ICGP 

President of the ICGP said the opening of such pubs will be contingent on local circumstances. File image.

The president of the Irish College of General Practitioners, Dr Mary Favier, has said that she cannot see ‘wet’ pubs in Dublin or Limerick opening anytime soon.

The opening of such pubs will be contingent on local circumstances, she told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

Local restrictions as had been recently imposed in Laois, Offaly and in particular in Kildare had proved very effective, she added. Local lockdowns could be the way Ireland has to manage Covid-19 from now on.

The fact that more cases are now being identified is as a result of increased testing and vigilance said Dr Favier. The recently diagnosed clusters and cases in nursing homes were a cause of concern, she said.

The reason the cases had been found was because of repeated testing in nursing homes. Staff were bringing the virus into such facilities. This was a “real signal” to the community to say “oh dear, here we go again,” she warned.

The number of contacts for people was increasing, people needed to realise that every additional person they saw was a potential carrier of the virus.

Dr Favier commended parents for their vigilance following the reopening of schools. This was an indication that parents had heard the public health message and heeded it. She said that many patients call their GP seeking reassurance and were taken aback when they were advised to have a test. This was a possible reason for the number of people who do not turn up for testing, she suggested. People were being put off the possibility of disruption to their work and childcare arrangements.

While patients were being tested on the same day, it was taking two to three days for results and “that could be quicker” she said.