Ten New Cases [Updated]

at

Tonight.

At the Department of Health’s latest press conference on the coronavirus.

A female journalist asked about the Irish Association of Funeral Directors announcing this morning that funeral services for people who die due to the coronavirus should be postponed and that the deceased should be immediately cremated or buried…

Dr John Cuddihy, director of the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre, answered the question by saying guidelines will be on the HSE website tomorrow.

However the department’s chief medical officer Tony Holohon, who was sitting beside Dr Cuddihy, was caught on his microphone telling Dr Cuddihy to tell the journalist that he didn’t agree with the IAFD’s recommendation.

This was the exchange:

Journalist: “I’m conscious that this is an uncomfortable question to ask but I think it’s an important one. The Irish Association of Funeral Directors advised its members that victims of the coronavirus, should we be unfortunate enough to have one, should be immediately cremated and funerals held at a later date, is that really a necessary measure?”

Tony Holohon: “John.”

Dr John Cuddihy: “Just to say that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre have general guidance for these measures and we’re updating them currently for the Covid-19 and we will have those on our website tomorrow. We’ve also made contact with the Irish Funeral Directors’ Association [sic] to let them know that they will be available.

“So we will liaise with them and make sure that the guidance are proportionate.”

Holohan [whispers]: “Tell them you don’t agree.”

Cuddihy: “Well, I would think that the measures that you’ve described are not necessary…”

Holohan: “Not necessary.”

Cuddihy: “…and when we produce the guidelines tomorrow, that that will be evident.”

EARLIER:

This evening.

The Department of Health has announced that ten new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed bringing the total in the Republic of Ireland to 34.

RTÉ reports:

Five of these new cases are associated with travel from an affected area. Three of those are males in the south of the country.

One male and one female in the east of the country also associated with travel from an affected area.

Three of those 10 new cases are associated with close contact with a confirmed case – a male and female in the west and a female in the south of the country.

Two of the new cases are healthcare workers – one male in the south associated with hospital transmission and one female in the east, possibly due to hospital transmission.

With 16 cases also in Northern Ireland, there are now 50 cases on the island of Ireland.

10 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Republic (RTÉ)

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63 thoughts on “Ten New Cases [Updated]

  1. Madam X

    The majority of these cases are imported from Italy . Why has it taken two commercial airlines to stop incoming Italian flights. ? FG inaction hiding behind Specialist healthcare advice . Not one of them have a backbone Donohue ” we might offend the Italians if we stopped all flights” My paraphrase

    1. Cian

      One of the key pillars of the EU is freedom of movement of people. I’m not sure if we could block them from a legal perspective.

      Similarly I’m not if If there is a legal basis to force an airline not to fly to/from a destination.

      And legal people know?

        1. Cian

          Why is that odd? I only state facts (generally with sources) or my opinions (generally flagged as such).

          1. some old queen

            I am suggesting that the government act in the national interest.

            There is no ‘LAW’ to prevent them banning flights from infected regions.

            Grow a pair.

          2. scottser

            The state has outrageous powers in the event of a national emergency. They just have to call one. Shame the WE DONT HAVE A POO POO GOVERNMENT eh?

          3. Cian

            Yes they make the laws. But they need to stay within the Constitution. It mentions war and how this would confer huge power to the government but it doesn’t cover “national emergencies” – which I suspect scottser just made up.

            They must also AFAIK adhere to certain EU laws.

            It funny how the same people that bang on about how the government should always adhere to laws (e.g. GDPR) are now willing to rip up the constitution.

          4. Cian

            I can’t edit my post.
            EU law is superior to national law. This means that Ireland (along with other member states) cannot pass national laws that contradict EU laws.
            https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/european_government/eu_law/european_laws.html

            So Ireland can’t just pass a “law” that prohibits travel to Italy if there is another EU law that says countries must allow free travel (I don’t know if such a law exists – but we don’t have a carte blanche to do whatever we choose).

          5. Barry the Hatchet

            For what it’s worth, free movement of people between EU states is not an absolute right. It can be restricted provided that the restrictions are necessary and proportionate for reasons of public policy, public security or public health. I suspect a major public health emergency would allow some sort of restriction on people travelling from the affected areas.

        1. Barry the Hatchet

          Only within its own borders. EU law is only engaged once there is some cross-border element.

      1. Rob_G

        Freedom of movement has been suspended in the past few years in a number of cases without any legal blowback – during the migrant crisis in 2015, 2016, for example.

    2. ReproBertie

      How many of the cases coming in from Italy are Irish citizens and how constitutional is it to ban them from entering Ireland?

    3. some old queen

      It started with Chinese working in Milan and soon it may be possible to have a handbag made out of your granny.

      1. Newname

        I live in Italy, it was imported by italians working in china, home for a break and having dinner with friends. At least that is the best guess for patient 0, they’re not 100%.
        Please be more cautious with your wording, asian looking people have been battered for being Chinese (not all Chinese) and bringing coronavirus to Europe, while I don’t believe it is your intention, you can encourage the worst in people with those comments

    4. rotide

      every single one of our cases so far stems from Irish people returning from Italy so your point about not letting flights from Italy land is utterly pointless.

      these people would have come home anyway and nothing world be different, but feel free to keep saying the people who know what they’re doing, don’t know what they’re doing while being entirely incorrect

      1. Rob_G

        All those recent flights were almost empty, according to recent media reports – mainly Irish people coming back home.

  2. GiggidyGoo

    10 cases confirmed. How many tested today and awaiting results?
    We are not being told the truth I think.

          1. GiggidyGoo

            Ah that’s grand. I was just wondering, as there are reports locally that there are 4 cases at a hospital in the south-east that haven’t been included in the figures.

          2. Cian

            I dunno how they are doing the press releases – but I would imagine they are only doing a few each day. It is possible that another case (or cases) was confirmed locally this evening since the last press release – but the HSE will wait until tomorrow to include these extra numbers.

    1. Ringsend Incinerator

      When were we even told the truth?

      “Just wash your hands” – hand sanitizer, facemasks not necessary.

      Reality:

      – There are NO facemasks available.
      – There is NO hand santizer available.

    2. rotide

      people who have been tested and are awaiting results are not confirmed, obviously.

      it’s nice to see that even in the middle of a possibly society altering epidemic, you’re still grasping for conspiracies to comfort yourself

      1. V

        And look who’s out of Self Isolation

        How are ya lad
        Good to have you back among us – your strict cop on t’ yerselves method is badly missed
        IMO anyway

        Virtual elbow mwah mwah there Rot

      2. GiggidyGoo

        Testing normally at home wouldn’t be counted. people who have been tested and are in hospital then ?

      3. rotide

        howeya lads, just checking in to see what the mood is here on the virus, wasn’t disappointed although I was hoping for a qanon tie in!

  3. f_lawless

    Possible startup idea:
    A browser extension that can eliminate all mention of the corona virus from a user’s online experience. Can be toggled on or off at user’s discretion but an on setting is recommended for extended periods.

    1. Ringsend Incinerator

      How about an online home testing kit? Or an Apple Watch app that uses a proximity sensor when someone violates the social exclusion zone?

      1. Ringsend Incinerator

        OR

        A Tinder-style app to identify and locate CoronaVirus suffers so the media can easily report them word for word?

  4. Spaghetti Hoop

    Okay, 50 on the island. Any chance we can get the location of the cases, like on a map? It doesn’t provoke panic or compromise patient confidentiality – it’s just sensible.

    1. Clampers Outside

      +1
      Down to a town or village or a Dublin 1, 2 or 3 number type thing. Nothing more specific, and I’d go with that.

    2. Cian

      To what end? To know where to avoid?
      Should it have home and work/school? What about their gym/sports/golf club? Or what public transport they used?

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        Because if you had recently visited the location of the index person you could be vigilant about your own health status. ‘South of the country’ is extremely vague. Confidentiality is possible with a map layer of the infected person’s movements, because sensible folk will deal with a sudden symptom if their route has crossed paths.

        1. some old queen

          From current reports- the border region is the safest part of the island- oh the irony.

          Does ANYONE believe Dublin is currently clear?

          I have been arguing that Cork should be quarantined for years of course.

        2. Cian

          But what’s the point? If I looked at the map yesterday it wouldn’t have had today’s 10 new cases – and I may have crossed paths with all ten today…

          I should be vigilant at all times, and keep hands clean and away from my mouth. And if I get symptoms to take them seriously – not look at this map and say “oh, i wasn’t in any of these 40 no-go areas – so I must be okay.”

          1. some old queen

            If I said to you that that ten people were diagnosed with HIV+ in the past month- you would reasonably ask out of how many tested. How many people were tested yesterday Cian?

            Hariis on Primetime now- just to instill real panic- can they not just media quarantine that juvenile clown?

          2. jamesjoist

            I just hope the horsey crowd are tested as they arrive back from Cheltenham, I’m one of the many unfortunates who use a steroid inhaler and I live in Kildare

          3. ReproBertie

            They said they are testing about 100 a day (1,700 tested so far) and it takes about 36 hours to get the results of a home test.

          4. Cian

            @some old queen – I’m not sure why you’re asking me how many were tested:
            1. I have no idea
            2. it isn’t relevant to this thread about maps?

  5. Kingfisher

    “A female journalist”? What is this, 1910? A journalist.
    As for the right of EU states to block travel to prevent spread of a deadly virus,of course they can.

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