Dr. David Nabarro, Special Envoy, WHO Director General for the COVID19 Response, said that there are seven or eight indicators which will determine the appropriate measures a government should put in place in response to the Coronavirus.
Dr. Nabarro told RTÉ’s ‘The Next Normal’ that “In the end it’s not the number of cases or even the number of people in hospitals or dying that matters. It’s whether or not as a nation you’re able to get ahead of this virus”
Although Nabarro admitted not to the have exact parameters in front of him, he summarised them as:
- Are we picking up cases of the virus?
- Are we finding their contacts?
- Are we making certain that they isolate once we find them?
- Have we got all the necessary steps in place to make sure people who are isolated are properly looked-after?
- Are the hospitals working?
- Do the health workers have all the necessary protection so that they are not going to be subject to any possible threat?
- It should be made certain that there’s a really good chance that hospital facilities can keep going.
It is understood that the three Government party leaders are meeting with Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, to discuss the NPHET recommendation of placing the entire country on Level 5 restrictions. This will see the closure of all non-essential business, and a 5km radius imposed. Speaking on RTÉ News at 1 on Monday, October 5th, Fergal Bowers, RTÉ Health Correspondent, cited an increase in cases among people aged over 65 as a moivation for the NPHET recommendations.
There will be a full cabinet meeting in the afternoon.