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LAST UPDATE | 3 Nov 2020
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER Tony Holohan has said the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is engaging in a process with government on how to enable the traffic light travel system by 8 November.
Despite repeated questioning by members of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, Holohan could not give specific details about what NPHET will advise in terms of people returning home this Christmas.
The CMO says it’s too early to say what the situation will be regarding travelling home to Ireland at Christmas as it depends on “a whole lot of factors that are simply unknowable at this time”.
He said he was being asked to look forward a period of six weeks, adding “it is simply not possible” and stating that it is a “hypothetical situation”.
Holohan said he understands the sensitivity issues surrounding travel around Christmas time, with people wishing to come back to see each other who have perhaps not seen each other in many months. He said he also understood the implications it has for airlines.
NPHET’s role is to simply advise on what the risks are “and how best ameliorate and address those risks”.
The CMO said he is aware that the government has signed up to the new EU traffic light system around travel which is due to operate in Ireland from 8 November.
He said NPHET is “working through the process as to how we are going to adopt the arrangement”.
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Government is pushing to have a rapid testing regime up and running to ensure that friends and families can travel to visit their loved ones this Christmas.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has stated that the aim is to have airport testing up and running in time for Christmas, but added “it is not just for Christmas, we have to think into next year, we are an island”.
He said it is hoped that travel may be possible at Christmas time and that a testing regime will help to facilitate that.
Junior Minister for Transport Transport Hildegarde Naughton has also said that the new traffic light system is important “because many of our friends and families may be returning home for Christmas and we are very conscious of the timing”.
However, speaking in committee today, Holohan stated that NPHET is not anticipating recommending antigen testing for air travel “at this point of time”.
When asked about whether government will have to defer from NPHET advice on international travel and testing, a senior government source said Ireland has already signed up to the EU system, which involves a testing regime, so that’s it.
“International travel is not safe and movement of people around areas with high incidence of this disease, particularly in Europe and North America, is not safe,” Holohan told the committee today.
Ireland is “a small, open economy, with very close cultural, legal, business, economic relationships with the whole of the EU. It’s not New Zealand. It’s not going to be possible for us to keep the disease out”, said Holohan.
However, he said NPHET advice will be an assessment made at a point in time closer to Christmas.
He warned that it might be the case that the risk of travel from red countries could be much greater coming up to Christmas than it is at the moment, pointing out that while Ireland’s rate has improved, other EU countries are seeing a deterioration.
Around Christmas time, Holohan envisages that the majority of EU countries will be catagorised as red.
“The vast majority of countries are red and getting redder.
“That’s the current situation. That’s the reason we’re concerned about international travel at this point in time.
“We’ve been experiencing a level of improvement very few other countries have been able to report and we need to hold on to that,” he said.
“Once we bring the disease back under control in Ireland, it will be necessary to manage very carefully the risks of importation,” Holohan said in his opening statement.
Holohan said NPHET is not ruling anything in or out, but when it comes to testing the nature of the test and the confidence the government can have in a test from another jurisdiction would have to be factored in.
He told the committee today that if Ireland introduces testing at airports passengers should take a Covid-19 test five days after arrival.
If testing of incoming passengers is introduced here, the “most efficient” method to manage viral importation is to have a 5-7 day period of restricted movement with a symptom check and Covid-19 test on Day 5 after arrival.
“This approach can still miss up to 15% of the imported cases. I understand that Finland and Germany are among the countries that have signalled intentions to adopt this measure as part of their travel policies,” Holohan said.
Under the EU plan, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control will publish a weekly map of the EU using a three-stage colour system to indicate the level of risk in each area.
Levels will be determined by a variety of epidemiological factors including the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population and the level of positive tests.
While the current requirement for a person to restrict their movements for 14 days following arrival from a ‘red’ region remains until further notice, the Government is planning that as soon as it is practicable, this requirement can be waived following a negative result from an approved Covid-19 test taken five days after arrival.
From midnight on 8 November – the date the new traffic light travel scheme comes into effect in Ireland – the government is planning that the requirement for those arriving from orange locations to restrict their movements is due to be waived, if they have a negative test result up to three days before arrival.
This test must be conducted by an authorised entity recognised within that member state, according to junior minister Naughten.
Labour’s Duncan Smith raised concerns with Holohan about testing, stating today airports should be allowed to at least get infrastructure in place now for testing, stating that if not there could be “restriction fatigue” where people will just start booking flights.
In terms of testing, Director of the UCD National Virus Reference Laboratory Cillian DeGascun said PCR testing remains the gold standard. He said there may be a role for antigen testing, but antigen tests have a sensitivity of 80%, meaning one in five cases will be missed.
Rapid testing, such as the LAMP test, is being used by other airports around the world to ensure safety while travelling.
Currently, the only validated test recognised in Ireland is the PCR test. After someone is swabbed, the PCR test has to be sent to a lab for analysis. The new LAMP test does not, and can deliver results in an hour or so. This would be used for anyone wishing to leave the country.
If the LAMP test is validated it will be approved by the Department of Health and can be incorporated that into Ireland’s testing regimes
DeGascun could not give the committee a date of when alternative tests to the PCR test would be validated but said a review is currently underway.
The chief medical officer said that testing does not sit on its own, and if introduced needs to be one part of a while suite of measures.
When pressed on the matter of whether having testing at airports is better than no testing, Holohan said “of course” but said it is “all down to how testing is used”.
He raised concerns about using single point testing for travel, as well as “depending on the good will” of people to self isolate and quarantine.
NPHET previously advocated for all arrivals into the country to be quarantined for 14 days in separate facilities once off the plane – something the government ruled out from the beginning.
There have been are some concerns recently at government level that despite the November date being set for the EU traffic light system, that NPHET may begin to ratchet up their reservations about international travel in the run up to Christmas.
One government source said it is “really important” that people can return home to visit their loved ones this Christmas, especially if the country is on the far side of a second wave. They added that it would be wrong to stop it.
Holohan told the commmitee today that if NPHET thinks travel into the country “is simply unsafe and shouldn’t happen then we would make that advice”.
However, he added that it is NPHET’s role to advice, and government’s role to make the final decision on how international travel should operate into the future.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, meanwhile, confirmed last week that it is still the government’s intention to have the traffic light system operational in Ireland on Sunday 8 November.
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Doin’ it for themselves. Sounds about right for Irish politicians. They are not doing it for you and I. Self serving, over paid and motivated to maintain the status quo.
@David Nolan: I’d give them a chance to prove your theory.
@David Nolan: Top comment! Got a laugh from it!
@Peter McGlynn: look how the Kingsmill bread moron was treated, they should have kicked him out right away. Politicians? Always look after their own first. Such a shame.
@David Nolan:
Mary Lou said ‘the war is long over. Wrong – there never was a war. There was a terrorist campaign in which YOUR LOT murdered IRISH children , women and men including Gardai and Prison Officers. Admittedly you were not a member then but you have repeatedly defended those, including Adams, who have blood on their hands. Until you condemn those killings your party will not grow here in the South. Euphemisms simply won’t do.
@Donal Hanley: that’s funny, because British soldiers that did a tour of duty in Northern Ireland receive a medal, and on the back of that medal there is an inscription that says “for campaign service”, that sounds like a war medal to me.
@Andrew Giles:
I just looked up campaign in the dictionary. Strangely ‘war’ is not mentioned.
The campaign was protecting the citizens in NI & GB from terrorists. Like your new deputy leader your education seriously inadequate.
@Donal Hanley: “Mary Lou said ‘the war is long over. Wrong – there never was a war.”
Soldiers carryig out massacres, ethnic cleansing, murder gangs, bombings?
Sounds a lot like a war to me.
What year were you born Donal?
@The Risen:
Now define a terrorist campaign genius.
@The Risen: Nope, sounds like a terrorist campaign to me, driven front and centre by the Provo’s.
@Donal Hanley: care to name an irish child that the ira killed??
@F. Wood:
Look up Omagh bombing
@Donal Hanley: Look up who carried out the Omagh bombing.
@Donal Hanley: Your ignorance is astounding.
@The Risen:
I don’t differentiate between your different designation. You’re all the same – same rotten origins.
@Donal Hanley: A “Protestant State for British Protestants in Ireland ” as define by the leader of that State in the 1970s! Thats is the ultimate terrorism rotten to the core ‘Evil Empire’.
@Donal Hanley: my deputy leader, hahaha you know absolutely nothing about me, the reason I know what it says on the back of that medal, is that my father was given one
Before any party members comment on social media regarding this event, per yesterday’s executive order, it is mandatory that you observe party policy of clearing it with HQ first.
Thank you.
@alphanautica: ha!
@alphanautica:
You will find that would be every party’s policy to go through press office
@Fran Kembo: whoosh
@alphanautica: only 9 hours before you posted this bs you stated you were bored with sf stories yet here you are….did your shift start at 7?..is .frape room double time for Sunday?..
@alphanautica: He hasn’t gone away you know.
@Henry Matthews: Its a bit early for tears Henry :-)
@Honeybadger197: hi alpha…
It’s surprising to be elected when you are the only candidate!!
@Rory:
How do you find that surprising if she was and is the best candidate for leader why would you oppose her
@Fran Kembo: rubbish comment and you know it
Interesting to watch this new Dawn and see Sinn Fein grow and grow while Fianna Fail fade away into Fine Gael where they rightfully belong.
@Paul Mc: The deluded addressing the deluded.
@Paul Mc: a new dawn, where they can follow the route of the PD’s, Labour and thr Greens by going into govt with FF or FG, riding the gravy train for a few years, betraying their support bsse and get swallowed up, disappearing into relative oblivion
@Paul Mc: Grow and grow? Do tell.
@JimmyMc: That certainly won’t happen the the Sinn Fein membership would not allow it .
@MK76: while I would love to see a viable alternative to fffg, I think SF will actually become less relevant when they are seen as just an equality party, rather than the edge that their demographic voted for (ie killers with a back story, parading as anti establishment). Let’s put this to the test in the next election in Louth when mlmd is the canvasser instead of Adams.
The growth of the party frightening the be jaysus outta Mehole and Leo ;)
The attacks by the media and FG shills on here in overtime…
Winds of change can’t be stopped..
@Willy Malone: Mary Loo will be calling Mehole “Boss” in no time. Reduced to a big beautiful shinner mudflap!
@The Risen: Oh look, my little impersonator is back LOL!
By the way, I’m wearing blue jeans and a red short sleeve shirt if you want to go the whole hog.
@The Risen: same muppet as yesterday?
@We Love Katamari: Most definitely
As she said make it fit for purpose. So people down the years criticising SF were correct.
I met Mary Lou in Tuam, along with survivors of the home. Her empathy was palpible. She also has great commitment to social advancement. I wish her all the best and to the day when she will be Taoiseach of a united, socially-advanced and peaceful Ireland.
@Niall Conneely: nearly all politicians are impressive and empathetic when you meet them. Unfortunately, that is the front they all have. For a united Ireland, we need people like SF to be more open that they have not been in 40 years to the population of Northern Ireland. Similarly, for a peaceful island we need to stop electing people who have orchestrated the violence in the first place.
@Gulliver Foyle: we dont elect people who orchestrated the violence. The ira in the north emerged as a result of loyalists ethnically cleansing belfast and nationalists being murdered on a daily basis with no help from the police. As for transparency and being open with citizens why wont fg support the sf initiative of a truth comission?
A new dawn for Sinn Féin. It will be interesting to watch.
@john Appleseed: It will be equally as interesting to watch how the establishment react. For a long time there have been calls for Adams to step down if the party wanted to progress. There’s a lot of work to be done to shape the party into a viable alternative to the merry-go-round of FF/FG.
The reaction of the media will also be interesting and most telling.
@Dave Doyle: or if Sinn Fein change in any way
@john Appleseed:
Whatever about Mary Lou will somebody please tell me how the BLAND Bombshell is educationally qualified for her role?
@john Appleseed: New dawn indeed — in fact new dawn is much like the old dawn. And what i mean by old dawn is exactly the same… if there was to be a new dawn then like every other party there would be a leadership contest – contesting leadership is a hallmark of democracy as it shows differing views within a party with the membership deciding on a certain direction…… only one direction SF is going and now they have a more palatable figurehead.
He hasn’t gone away you know!
Mary Lou -Michelle-Arlene-Theresa May and Caroline Bradley-Its definitely Women Power now.
@TheBluffmaster2: all useless.
@Keith D’Arcy: I suppose it would be too much to ask that they would knock their heads together and sort the Northern question.
@TheBluffmaster2: ya but I don’t hear any feminists congratulating them or claiming their achievements. Most feminists just like to revere the ones that shout the loudest about change, they seem to ignore the women that don’t have time to shout about feminism because they are living it
A significant moment no doubt. Will the opposition now react with the change required? Namely the formal amalgamation of FF and FG into one party. The time is now to apply pressure to ensure this comes to pass. Mary Lou could help drive this forward. The biggest mistake Sinn Fein can make is prop up one of these Labour style and facilitate FFG controlling both government and opposition benches.
Fair play to the Shinners this party rejuvenation has been at least a decade in the making. Imagine what the ruling juntas could have achieved if they had the vision and backbone to stick at anything.
I wonder where she learned the “Tiocfaidh ar la!
We had an female minister for justice and Garda Commissioner.
How did gender equality work out there ?
Ffs
Will there be a Wolfe Tones cover version any time soon?
Different faces but same ol SF hypocrisy.
Did they fire off their kalashnikovs into the air and shout Mary Lou Akbar?
Two songs come to mind, “Single Girls (Put A Sock In It)” by Beyonce and “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Pauper.
As a former Fianna Failer Mary Lou is the ideal choice to lead the shinners into coalition with the Blueshirts, where they can sell out their voters and pay for it later, ala so-called Labour-not a principled bone between them, and plenty of shadowy figures still pulling nasty nasty strings!
have your say