Covid-19 expert warns further restrictions now inevitable

Dr. Mary Favier, President of the Irish College of General Practitioners. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

The Irish College of General Practitioners’ clinical lead on Covid, Dr Mary Favier has warned that it is inevitable the Government will have to introduce further restrictions to tackle Covid 19.

She said more needs to be done and as the virus doubles each week there is an inevitable ‘knock-on’ impact on services.

People have to change their behaviour or further restrictions will be required, there is now very little time to decide that, she told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

Further restrictions for three to four weeks will have an impact on numbers, Dr Favier said. 

People will accept this if they know the end is in sight, schools and retail could remain open and people can see their family at Christmas if numbers are suppressed.

“Now we need to put in the hard work,” she said. Dr Favier pointed out that the public had responded without drama and put their shoulder to the wheel back in April. 

They need to do that again. Employers need to allow staff work from home where possible, there should be no unnecessary travel and people should meet outdoors.

GPs have been seeing a rise in numbers in the last few weeks and this is having an impact on services. 

While there has been some levelling off in Dublin under Level 3, it is not enough and there are growing pressure on GPs and on hospitals, she said.

“The system is under pressure from the sheer numbers. We need to do something different.” The solution is in the public’s hands, it is in everyone’s behaviour. There are too many people meeting, she said.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan says it has become "a whole population issue" and has appealed to every individual, family, household and workplace to act on public health advice.

Dr Favier also warned the Republic is only two to three weeks behind the north's rates.

Cavan has overtaken Donegal as the newest hotspot, after 22 new cases gave it an incidence of 412.2 cases per 100,000 in the last 14 days.

Professor Emer Shelley from the Royal College of Physicians says it is not just an issue for border counties.

"The numbers have gone up quite a bit in Cork, for example," said Prof. Shelley.

"Hospital consultants there have seen increased admissions, increased numbers in ICU and that is just one example.

There is really a lot of transmission and it is one that we're going to have to keep a very close eye on.

She said it is vital we get control of the virus.

"We have had one day over 1,000 and some days of 800 cases. We didn't have that number of cases over several days in April that we are seeing at this stage.

"It is only a matter of time when we will see even more deaths."