Covid-19: Why we are all paying a very heavy price

Since the start restrictions have been part of a bid to prevent our woefully inadequate hospital system from becoming overwhelmed, writes Daniel McConnell

Pedestrians at St. Patrick's Street in Cork with social distance signs. File picture Denis Minihane.

The speed with which the Covid-19 virus is currently raging is certainly a concern.

There are many who already have asked whether the decision to loosen restrictions earlier this month was appropriate given where we now find ourselves.

That is a legitimate question but after nine months of woe, pain, uncertainty and tears, the Government was right to at least offer some hope to a weary people.

While the six-week lockdown announced in October was designed to pave the way to an enjoyable Christmas, the wider mood music was not helpful in allowing us realise that dream.

The case numbers in Northern Ireland spiralled leading to the hospital system being overwhelmed at precisely the wrong time. In the UK, a new strain of the virus was detected and severe restrictions were reluctantly brought in by Boris Johnson’s ramshackle administration.

Dr Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer and his band of not so merry men and women on the National Public Health Emergency Team, were clearly hesitant about the decision to open up as early as we did on December 2 and forewarned about the inevitable spike in cases.

Now heading into the New Year with vaccine rollout in its infancy, the Cabinet meets today for the second time in three days. It is clear the next few weeks here are looking grim from a public health perspective.

As Minister Simon Harris put it: “The Cabinet is not having its second meeting within three days just to share Christmas greetings.” 

While they are not calling it an emergency meeting, it has all the hallmarks of one, typified by the expected state-of-the-nation address from Taoiseach Micheál Martin later today.

The Cabinet is expected to:

• Introduce all Level 5 restrictions including the closure of non-essential retail including gyms, golf courses and tennis clubs.
• Travel will again be limited to within 5km of their homes.
• The move to Level 5 will also end visits to homes ahead of New Year’s Eve.

This is a time of year when our hospital system is normally running at or above capacity. The addition of Covid at this time is a genuine concern.

While the inevitable decision to dump us back into the highest level of restrictions is unavoidable, the costs of doing so, economic and societal, are immense.

It has been remarkable to see people take to social media and elsewhere and casually demand for businesses to be shut, without for a second contemplating the devastating impact such a move would have on so many.

Hardly keeping to the mantra of us “all being in this together”.

Any hope for businesses to be able to earn a few quid to keep them going during the third period of lockdown has been curtailed, which surely will mean many businesses will not re-open.

The costs to mental health, at a time of year when the risk of suicide is elevated anyway (see the First Fortnight charity for details) are a real concern.

While the arrival of the vaccine gives some hope in terms of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the arrival of that magical day seems as far off in the distance as ever.

Sadly, the basis of these restrictions since the start have been part of a bid to prevent our woefully inadequate hospital system from becoming overwhelmed.

Decades of neglect, poor policy and mismanagement have severely limited our options in relation to Covid. As a result, we are all paying a very heavy price.