Dr Tony Holohan to answer questions before Covid-19 committee
The Chief Medical Officer will tell the Oireachtas today that Irish senior health officials began to discuss Covid-19 in early January.
Dr Tony Holohan, who will appear alongside Chief Executive of the HSE Paul Reid and Secretary General of the Department of Health Jim Breslin, has been called to answer questions before the 19 TD strong committee on Ireland’s coronavirus response.
Dr Holohan’s opening remarks, seen by the Examiner, detail when and how the pandemic unfolded within his department and Ireland as a whole.
“We first heard reports of a novel coronavirus infection during the second week in January,” Dr Holohan writes in his statement.
“Immediately, senior public health people in this country began to confer, monitor and collaborate with colleagues internationally.
“It became clear from an early stage that this would become a significant challenge for the world.“
On 30 January, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The NPHET, held its first meeting on 27 January 2020 and has held 31 meetings to date.
Dr Holohan adds that due to the ease of its transmission, severity, particularly for those who are vulnerable, combined with the fact that there is no natural immunity to this virus, no medicines available for its specific treatment and no vaccines, this “has presented an unprecedented global public health challenge.
There is no certainty that we can keep this virus suppressed.
“The advice of NPHET is that we ease restrictions in a phased risk-based manner, while maintaining close vigilance of the supread and impact of this virus to ensure that we can safely recommence work, social engagement, education and the day-to-day operation of the health service.”
Dr Holohan maintains that “open, clear communications with the public has been a central tenet of the health service’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic” and notes, his team have held 52 press conferences to date.
There have been 24,200 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, and 1,547 people in Ireland have lost their lives.
“I am acutely conscious of the grief that people have experienced over the past three months,” Dr Holohan added.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest condolences to all those who have lost loved ones.”
