THERE are some who would have you believe that only all of the UK, with its pooled resources, can beat Covid-19, but the Republic of Ireland is showing how successful a small independent country can be in dealing with the coronavirus threat.
Three more cases were confirmed in Ireland yesterday, meaning there are now 24 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country.
So far, Ireland has not recorded any fatalities as a result of the disease.
A National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has been set up, and the Health Service Executive, Ireland’s national health service, is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had in order to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
The NPHET has met three times in the past four days to assess Ireland’s ongoing preparedness. Dr Tony Holohan, the Irish chief medical officer, said: “While Ireland remains in a containment phase, we will eventually move to delay phase and then on to mitigation phase.
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“Containment is about identifying and containing all cases no matter how mild. The delay phase will focus on minimising the spread of the virus. Ultimately, in mitigation phase, we prioritise the cases that are most unwell.
“The decision to move to delay phase will be based on a number of factors, including the amount of confirmed cases in Ireland, the speed at which they are occurring and the profile of transmission.
“Ultimately all of the decisions we take are focused on limiting the impact of this disease on our population and our health service.”
Dr Ronan Glynn, the deputy chief medical officer, said: “We are particularly aware that older people may have additional concerns and worries about the spread of this disease.
“This is a time for solidarity and community.
“We urge everyone to reach out to older family and friends, to ensure they have the appropriate advice and information.”
Slovenian to close border with Italy to fight Covid-19 spread
IN a dramatic move aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19, Slovenia announced yesterday that it is closing its border with Italy to all non-commercial traffic.
Prime Minister Marjan Sarec (above) announced the decision in a tweet, not confirming when it would happen but stating that the border would be closed when necessary “technical and administrative conditions” were in place.
In the statement, Sarec said that the number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia had risen by another three to reach 34.
The government tweet added: “We will not close the border for cargo traffic as that would cause additional economic damage.”
Any Slovenian in Italy should return home, the tweet advised.
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The Slovenian Government has already announced a €1 billion package of aid to firms suffering adverse economic effects due to the virus.
Slovenia’s economy ministry said the €1bn would mainly be offered as loans, mostly through SID Banka, the country’s development and export bank, and as subsidies.
Health Minister Ales Sabeder has announced the prohibition of all indoor events for more than 100 people, having already banned indoor events with over 500 people last Saturday evening.
Sabeder told a news conference that major sports events, like world cup skiing and ski jumping competitions, will be held without any spectators.
So far Slovenia has tested more than1400 people. The country’s western border is with Italy, which has suffered one of the world’s most severe coronavirus outbreaks and is now on national lockdown.
Five Icelandic nurses contract coronavirus
ICELAND’S impressive attempts to deal with Covid-19 were dealt a blow yesterday when it was announced that five critical care nurses working at Landspitali National University Hospital in Reykjavik (above) have contracted the coronavirus.
All of the nurses were on call together, and all are now in quarantine.
As of yesterday, there were 76 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Iceland, ten of which had been transmitted locally.
The country with a population less than that of Edinburgh has been able to put people into quarantine – almost 600 in all – and 70 more in isolation.
According Iceland’s Morgunbladid paper, two of the nurses contracted the disease on a ski trip abroad, and one of them showed up for work, which is how the other three are believed to have been infected.
The nurse did not attend to patients that day.
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Morgunbladid reported: “This has affected the operation of the critical care unit. The unit has been split up, and the number of available beds has as such been reduced.”
The Landspitali Nursing Board issued a statement last night stressing that the nurse who showed up for work after a trip abroad did not arrive from a defined risk area for contracting the virus. Therefore, it was “perfectly normal [for the nurse] to return to work, as people always do when they return from a vacation”.
“Due to Covid-19, all in-patient wards at Landspitali have been closed to guests around the clock, except in exceptional cases. This also applies to the emergency ward at Landspitali.”
The Icelandic government yesterday approved an action plan intended to minimise the negative impact of Covid-19 on the Icelandic economy, delaying its budget until May.
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