Ireland warned may see coronavirus outbreak like Italy and France, Wales confirms two new cases
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The Irish Minister for Health Simon Harris has said there is a moderate-to-high risk that Ireland will follow a pattern seen in other EU countries in regard to the Covid-19 outbreak such as Italy, France and Germany.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Harris said the situation was very serious and was going to require not just a whole of government approach, but a whole of society approach.
The minister said he wanted people to know that every decision taken would not be political – it would be taken on public health advice.
Mr Harris added that the best possible way of dealing with the virus is to slow its spread.
He said the decision to isolate coronavirus cases in hospitals, rather than self isolate at home, is a clinical call and currently allows health professionals an opportunity to study the virus, which is new.
Mr Harris said he would not accept that “things are going ahead as normal” and he said that there has been a willingness to cancel events, such as the Six Nations rugby match between Ireland and Italy which was due to played last Saturday.
He said that whatever public health experts advise the Government on, in relation to St Patrick’s day, will be the path that the Government follows.
Meanwhile, Wales has confirmed two new cases of coronavirus, taking the country’s total to six.
It comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to tell an emergency COBRA meeting that tackling the outbreak requires a “national and international effort”.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the UK now sits at 280, a rise of 74 since Saturday.
