Coronavirus: ‘Very possible’ Covid-19 was in Ireland as early as last year, says Varadkar
Taoiseach says authorities ‘should not assume it came here from Italy in late February’
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Your support makes all the difference.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it “very possible” that coronavirus reached Ireland in December last year – nearly two months before the country’s first confirmed case.
Mr Varadkar issued the warning after French authorities earlier this week revealed that a man had been infected with Covid-19 as far back as 27 December.
Referencing this, the Irish leader said: “In some ways this is not surprising, France is well connected to China with dozens of flights every day – and Ireland is well connected to France.
“Indeed, it is very possible that this virus was already in Ireland last year or January this year and we should not assume it came here from Italy in late February just because the first confirmed case did so.”
Mr Varadkar promised that further research and retrospective testing will be carried out to “give us a better idea” of Ireland’s earliest cases, adding that “time will tell”.
He also rejected criticism that Ireland, having lowered the rate of Covid-19 transmission thanks to its lockdown measures, has been slow to return to normality compared to other countries.
“It is true we are slower than countries, much less affected than us like Australia, New Zealand, and slower than countries much worse affected than us, like Spain and Belgium,” he said on Thursday from the Dail, Ireland’s principal assembly chamber.
He added, “this is a decision the government made” and “it’s one we stand over”.
This comes as an Irish medical expert warned that it was not enough to flatten the country’s curve as authorities attempt to contain the deadly virus.
Professor of general practice Liam Glynn told Newstalk FM that Ireland should not be satisfied with only lowering the level of transmission.
“We have come a long way in terms of the flattening the curve, and all the signals in terms of hospitalisations and intensive care admissions all seem to be dropping,” he said. “The question now is where we are going?
“It is not just enough to flatten the curve, in my view, I think we really need to be talking about crushing this curve and trying to eliminate Covid-19 entirely.”
Prof Glynn said Ireland has an advantage in combating the virus, as it is an island.
“We have the advantage of trying to figure out how we do trade and travel across a border, and how we do it safely. If we go for elimination, the only way the virus can get on to this island is by importation.”
Mr Varadkar has meanwhile said that the country’s pandemic payments, which are supporting workers and business affected by the crisis, will continue beyond mid-June but warned they cannot last forever.
The coronavirus death toll in Ireland rose to 1,375 on Wednesday after 37 more deaths were announced.
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