MidWest Health Officials Say Efforts To Stop Spread Of Coronavirus Are Working

Coronavirus particles

Health officials in the MidWest say measures aimed at stopping the spread of Coronavirus in the region are working.

They’ve also said that the COVID-19 outbreak does not yet represent a crisis.

It comes as St. Patrick’s Day Parades across the county are being cancelled, although the Mayor of Clare says she’s still expecting to take part in the traditional annual trip to New York for the festivities there.

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There are now 24 cases of COVID 19 in the republic of Ireland, four of those were confirmed in a Clare family last week and three more are in people in the West who came into direct contact with a case here.

These figures are expected to grow significantly, however, and the Taoiseach admits over half the population could contract the disease at some point, and that Ireland may be facing a challenge that’s unprecedented in modern times.

But despite this, Chief Officer of Community Healthcare in the Midwest, Maria Bridgeman is reassuring that this is not a crisis.

Dr Mai Mannix is Director of Public Health in the Midwest.

She’s outlined how the authorities react once someone is diagnosed, in terms of limiting the potential for infection:

Yesterday saw the cancellation of St. Patrick’s Day Parades throughout Ireland, including in Ennis.

The remaining parades in Clare are all expected to be cancelled too, although that’s a matter for the organising committees.

Sixmilebridge Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe admits it will hit communities hard.

But even though the parade won’t happen here, it is still scheduled to go ahead in New York, and today the Mayor of Clare says she still expects to travel there.

The trip is traditional, and Clare Colleran Molloy is due to fly stateside with Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling.

There are 142 confirmed cases of COVID 19 in New York.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Colleran Molloy, who’s called for all parades in Clare to be cancelled, says the traditional trip will be reviewed on a day to day basis, but as it stands the plan is to travel.