A VIEW FROM IRELAND
COVID-19: AN UPDATE In New Zealand, we can feel just a bit isolated from the global ravages of COVID-19. SHELLY FARR BISWELL and her husband are currently on their if-not-now-when OE and living in County Dublin, Ireland. She reports on lockdowns, pandemic fatigue, and next steps. “I believe we will get vaccines. I believe that they will not be silver bullets. I believe that they will be like most vaccines are: an additional tool that should be added to a comprehensive strategy to fight this disease and that includes a social, an economic, and a biomedical strategy to reduce the impact of this pandemic on people’s lives...” –
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme, speaking at the Royal Irish Academy Online Conversation Series
The COVID-19 pandemic is of an extraordinary magnitude, affecting the health and socio-economic situation of millions of people around the world. In Europe, many healthcare systems are being pushed to the brink, particularly as countries cope with a second wave. There has also been a significant economic impact. In July, the European Commission estimated that the European economy would contract by 8.3 percent in 2020. ______________________________________________________
LEVEL 5 RESTRICTIONS ARE SCHEDULED TO GO THROUGH TO AT LEAST THE END OF NOVEMBER. ______________________________________________________ Living with the virus Like many countries in Europe, Ireland is attempting to move into a model of living with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future. As part of this, on 15 September, the Irish government introduced the Resilience and recovery 2020–2021: Plan for living with COVID-19. The plan is meant to take Ireland from the short-term emergency response that was introduced last spring to a medium-term approach in “managing risk and repairing the damage that COVID-19 has inflicted on society”. As the number of people contracting COVID-19 continued to rise through September and early October it became clear that part of managing risk meant as a country we would need to enter the most restrictive level of the plan – Level 5 – which we did on 21 October. The government’s statement for Level 5 is that “the public health risk means that you will be asked to stay at home, with certain exceptions. There will be no gatherings other than small numbers at funerals and weddings”. Level 5 restrictions are scheduled to go through to at least the end of November (you may be reading this just about the time we will hopefully be able to get haircuts at our local salon again), but in many ways, it feels like it is going easier than when the country 28 PUBLIC SECTOR December 2020
went into lockdown last March. Overall, there doesn’t appear to be the same fear or confusion. The Irish government has made adjustments and provided clear guidance on what the restrictions mean, for example, there’s more clarity about creating a support bubble for people who live alone. In addition, our National Public Health Emergency Team has provided consistent, transparent advice and regular updates throughout the crisis, which has increased public confidence. As a society, we know more about the steps we need to take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. ______________________________________________________
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN THE SECTORS HIT HARDEST BY RESTRICTIONS. ______________________________________________________ Yet, there are new challenges too. For example, there is the reality that young people are over-represented in the sectors hit hardest
Fighting pandemic fatigue In Pandemic fatigue: Reinvigorating the public to prevent COVID-19, the WHO identifies four key strategies and five cross-cutting principles to maintain and reinvigorate public support for protective behaviours. The four strategies are: 1. Understand people: Collect and use evidence for targeted, tailored, and effective policies, interventions, and communication. 2. Allow people to live their lives, but reduce risk: Wide-ranging restrictions may not be feasible for everyone in the long run. 3. Engage people as part of the solution: Find ways to meaningfully involve individuals and communities at every level. 4. Acknowledge and address the hardship people experience and the profound impact the pandemic has had on their lives. The five cross-cutting principles are: •
Be transparent.
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Be consistent as possible.
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Strive for predictability in unpredictable circumstances.
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Strive for the highest possible level of fairness.
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Co-ordinate to avoid mixed messages.
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2020
