Irish & The Virus

Irish and the Virus!

An Irish-born West Australian was one of the very first people in the state to register as a confirmed case of novel Coronavirus. He reached out to Irish Scene to share his story because he wanted to give hope to others worried about catching it. But the man - an active member of the community - asked to be identified only as Jack, because he has experienced that a certain amount of ‘stigma’ comes with having had COVID-19, which he didn’t expect. “I visited New York in early February as I have family there,” said Jack who is now a long term resident in Perth. “My usual stint as always is to get together with my son, daughter and grandchildren. I had planned a five week visit, as I do every year. I moved to New York when I was sixteen or seventeen so it’s always been home to me. We have always had a romance, myself and New York. So I always feel like I’m leaving someone I love when I leave her. I can almost imagine a tear in Lady Liberties eye. I love every moment of my time there. The pulse, the excitement, the whole melting pot of dreamers making dreams come true. I visit old friends, ex-prize fighters, retired actors, street poets and painters who speak through their paints and brushes, not for fame or fortune but for expression to speak to those who just want to share art and beauty. I catch up with their lives, I love the banter between us, it’s loud, sometimes profane but always friendly because we truly miss each other. This trip was cut short however because of this virus. Places hadn’t quite shut down yet but people were very aware that something was coming. I stayed in Queens and only visited Manhattan twice. I went to the legendary White Horse Tavern where Dylan Thomas ended his days*. Many people were masked and the pandemic hadn’t really hit hard yet. I found myself coughing without any rhyme or reason. I immediately isolated myself in my in-laws furnished basement for fear of spreading what I feared might be the worst. I booked an early plane ticket back to Perth, travelling business class to keep to myself. I arrived here on February 27th, got tested on the 28th and tested positive on the 29th.” The very next day, Western Australia recorded its first Coronavirus death. Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson announced that a 78-year-old man died in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in the early hours of the morning from COVID-19-related complications. The man - a prominent figure in the travel sector in Perth - and his wife had tested positive to the disease and had been evacuated from the Diamond Cruise Ship and airlifted on February 21 from Darwin to Perth, where he was getting treatment in isolation at ‘Charlies’. By March 5 there were just three confirmed cases in Western Australia, all of which were people who had contracted the illness overseas. On March 10, three COVID clinics opened at three metropolitan Perth hospitals, including ‘Charlies’, and hundreds of people queued up to be tested from day one. Back in Perth, Jack - whose symptoms were a dry cough and fatigue - went into isolation, and the authorities checked to make sure he was doing the right thing. “Police come to the top of the driveway three times a week to check naturally that I am obeying the isolating rules,” Jack said. “But I must say in regards to the police, they always ask how I am and it’s heartfelt. They don’t ask out of duty but concern. I have kept busy around the place as I am restless by nature but eventually the fatigue just takes me out but it is a beautiful thing to finally rest. I know there are people in worse condition than myself so I pray for them and those who experienced lost ones. This is a tough one but nothing we can’t win. Perth is probably one of the most isolated cities in the world, but in these particular circumstances that is a plus. If anything, this whole thing makes me think of how

fragile life is and how grateful I am to God that I am winning this battle. My heart goes out to those who lost their lives and those who miss them and I only hope that when this is all over through this distance that has been created, all of us are kinder to one another, overlook each others faults and misgivings and learn if anything that we need to socialise more, not through phones or internet but to visit, laugh, love and hold onto each other because that’s what life is truly all about.” *Editors note: For those with an interest, May 14 2020 is the annual International Dylan Thomas Day. It was on this date in 1953 that the Welsh poet first read Under Milk Wood on stage at 92Y The Poetry Centre, New York. Months later Dylan Thomas died in New York. The White Horse Tavern (where Dylan Thomas is pictured, left) is associated with many iconic artists and cultural figures and it was there that the Clancy Brothers got their first break in America.

At least two more Irish people in WA - but possibly more - are known to have caught Coronavirus. The revelation was made on St. Patrick’s Day itself, a Tuesday, at a press conference with Health Minister Roger Cooke. At a lunchtime media briefing in the Department of Health’s office in East Perth, Mr Cooke - who is also deputy premier - confirmed three new cases (bringing the state’s number at that point to 31 with 6582 people testing negative), including one of a man who had travelled from Ireland via Dubai. Mr Cooke said all 31 cases were from overseas travel and there was no evidence of community based transmission of the virus. “That’s a very good position for us to be in,” the minister said. Even while the minister was making those comments, that particular situation may have been changing. According to a report on local news site WAtoday later in the week (on Thursday, 19 March), a Perth healthcare worker who was tested on March 17, appeared to be the state’s first confirmed case of coronavirus being spread in the community. WAtoday reported that a nurse working for Therapy Focus - a not for profit business supporting children with disabilities in Perth’s south-easter suburbs - was diagnosed on Wednesday with the disease. “The nurse is an Irish national, and on Thursday, popular Irish bar JB O’Reilly’s warned patrons a woman who attended the venue at the weekend for St Patrick’s Day celebrations had since tested positive for COVID-19, but it is not yet known if these circumstances are related,” WAtoday reported. “She had not travelled overseas, or been in contact with a known case. “WAtoday understands the woman initially presented for testing at Charles Gairdner Hospital after falling ill on Monday evening, but was turned away despite being eligible for priority testing due to her status as a health worker. “The woman went to Royal Perth Hospital on Tuesday, where she was eventually tested. She returned a positive result on Infection spike around St. Patrick's Day

Health Minister Roger Cooke at a press conference on St Patrick’s Day, March 17

Wednesday and is self-isolating. “While there were initial concerns the woman contracted the illness from family who had visited from Ireland, it is now thought unlikely. “The family stayed in Australia for two weeks until March 2, and the woman only developed symptoms a fortnight after they had left. “Health authorities are carrying out urgent traces on her recent contacts,” the article added. A few days later another confirmed case was linked back to Ireland. At another press briefing on March 21, Minister Cooke announced there had been 26 new cases of COVID-19 detected overnight, which brought the state’s tally to 90. Fifteen of the twenty six cases were related to people travelling back to WA from several countries, including Ireland.