Hospital appeal for public to stay vigilant and support frontline workers
Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan is appealing to the public to keep their guard up to support our hospitals and healthcare services as they continue the fight against Covid-19.
Mr Ken Fitzgibbon, General Manager of Our Lady’s Hospital said: “Our hospital and services are still under significant pressure as a result of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases. "We would continue to appeal to the public to adhere to the Level 5 restrictions in order to protect the hospital and those in our community most at risk from this virus. If we all continue to work together we can ensure that the vaccine roll-out has maximum benefit and we can recommence day-to-day services as soon as possible.
“We need everyone to continue to adhere to the public health advice and together, we can turn the tide on the Covid-19 pandemic. The resurgence of Covid-19 in recent months has impacted greatly on our health service."
Dr Keith Ian Quintyne, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, said: “What we have experienced in the last few months is how fast Covid-19 can spread and the consequences that it can have for our hospitals, healthcare systems, and our local communities.”
“The number of cases in the community have started to decrease and our concern is that people will start to drop their guard. Our hospitals are under sustained pressure to provide care in challenging circumstances. We are asking the public to continue to support our hospitals by following the public health advice; staying at home, keeping a physical distance of two metres, wearing a mask, frequently washing hands, and adhering to proper cough and sneeze etiquette.”
Dr Augustine Pereira, Director of Public Health HSE North East, commented: “It is important to reassure the public, that the vaccines are effective against the new strain. All viruses mutate and change, which can lead to new strains of the virus emerging. The new variants of Covid-19 from UK which is now the dominant strain in Ireland suggests that they are more transmissible than other strains.
“If you have travelled from any of the high-risk countries, you must self-isolate for 14 days from the date of arrival into Ireland, even if your Covid-19 test after arrival has not detected Covid-19. We must all continue to adhere to the public health advice to prevent the spread of Covid-19, as it is the best protection we have against all strains of this virus.”
“There is hope, the vaccination rollout provides the long-term hope and the current restrictions offer the opportunity to shorten the duration of the current wave”, he added.