Covid-19: Public will be asked to restrict contacts in run-up to Christmas

Mr Reid said we will need to carry on our behaviours we will get through Christmas. Picture: Brian Lawless

The director-general of the HSE Paul Reid has said the public will still have to restrict their contacts when Level 5 restrictions are lifted on December 1. 

Christmas is an important time for families and for Irish society, but it is important to be honest with people about the level of contacts they could have, he said.

While the trends were good in Ireland, with numbers coming down, the country had to learn from what happened when society and the economy opened up in June and July, he told Newstalk Breakfast.

Because restrictions were lifted in the summer there were “massive rises” in cases again in August, September and October.

Mr Reid said it was important for people to continue to reduce the number of contacts they have and the number of households they visit.

“Christmas is a very important time for families. It's a very important time for Irish society. It's hugely valued by everybody," said Mr Reid. 

We do need to give people good hope and encouragement that the actions they're taking now does merit us all having a reasonable Christmas.

“But I think we equally have to be honest with people and just say as well that if we manage to work through December and throughout Christmas by carrying on the behaviours that we're doing at the moment, and it's really about reducing our contacts, it's a really big important factor that we don't end up in the same position heading into January, February or March.” 

Mr Reid defended the contact tracking system. He acknowledged that it had been overwhelmed one weekend. “It did happen, it shouldn't have happened, it did happen.” 

Ireland remains one of the few countries still systematically testing close contacts on day zero and day seven, he pointed out. There will now be a permanent workforce on swabbing and contact tracing and if necessary significant numbers could be deployed.

We also have significant extra capacity now — we now have about 126,000 on the island capacity of lab testing.

With regard to nursing homes, Mr Reid said that the HSE, Hiqa and the Department of Health were in close, regular contact and could mobilise into any nursing homes should a situation arise.

Mr Reid also said the HSE was working very closely with unions to ensure healthcare workers were protected.

When asked about the numbers of health care workers who had died from Covid, Mr Reid said:

“One of the hardest things I've done in my professional career is talking to some families who have lost loved ones in the health service through Covid. It is a very tough period for people when that happens, absolutely, for families.” 

There had been significant investment in PPE and the current stock would last through the winter, he said.